REPORT  ON  THE  WATER-POWER 


OF  THE 


EASTEKN  G-ULF  SLOPE, 


EY 


DWIGHT  IFOZR/TIEIR,  DPzet. 

INSTRUCTOR  IN  CIVIL  ENGINEERING  AT  THE  MASSACHUSETTS  INSTITUTE  OE  TECHNOLOGY, 

SPECIAL  AGENT. 

1012  W  P— VOL  16  53  833-i 


# 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


Page. 

LETTEE  OF  TEANSMITTAL   v 

GENEEAL  DISCUSSION   1-4 

Bainfall  and  temperature  (table)  '.   3 

Eelative  distribution  of  rainfall  during  the  year  (table)   3 

THE    ALABAMA    EIVEE    AND  TKIBUTARIES. 

THE  ALABAMA  ELVER  .%   4,5 

Tributaries  of  the  Alabama  river   5-20 

Minor  tributaries  of  the  Alabama  river  (table)   6 

The  Cahaba  river   6, 7 

Estimate  of  power  at  the  principal  shoals  on  the  Cahaba  river,  from  Shades  creek  to  Centreville  (table)   7 

Drainage  areas  of  the  Cahaba  river  and  tributaries  (table)    7 

The  Tallapoosa  river   7-10 

Estimate  of  power  at  Tallassee  falls  and  vicinity  (table)     9 

Estimate  of  power  of  the  Tallapoosa  river  at  different  points  in  its  course  (table)  „   10 

Principal  tributaries  of  the  Tallapoosa  rider  (table)   10 

The  Coosa  river   10-13 

Estimate  of  power  available  at  Wetumpka  (table)   12 

Estimate  of  power  at  the  principal  shoals  on  the  Coosa  river  (table)   i3 

Tributaries  of  the  Coosa  river   13-15 

The  Chattooga  river   13, 14 

Cedar  creek  '.   14 

Minor  tributaries  of  the  Coosa  river  (tabic)   14 

The  Etowah  river   15-17 

Fall  in  the  Etowah  river  for  41.4  miles  below  the  mouth  of  Little  river  (table)   16 

Estimate  of  power  at  the  Etowah  Mining  $  Manufacturing  Company's  privilege  (table)   16 

Drainage  areas  of  the  Etowah  river  and  principal  tributaries  (table)   17 

The  Oostenaula  river  and  tributaries   17, 18 

The  Oostenaula  river    17 

The  Coosawattee  river    .'   17,18 

Estimate  of  power  near  Carter's  Landing  (table)   17 

The  Conasauga  river   18 

Drainage  areas  of  the  Oostenaula  river  and  tributaries  (table)   18 

Utilized  power  on  tributaries  of  the  Alabama  river  (table)   18-20 

THE    APPALAOHICOLA    RIVER    AND  TRIBUTARIES. 

THE  CHATTAHOOCHEE  EIVEE   21-26 

Fall  in  the  Chattahoochee  river  (table)   21 

Power  at  Columbus  and  vicinity   22-24 

Fall  in  the  Chattahoochee  river  within  about  4  miles  of  navigable  water  at  Columbus,  Georgia  (table)   24 

Estimate  of  power  in  the  vicinity  of  Columbus,  Georgia  (table)   24 

Power  near  West  Point   24, 25 

Estimate  of  power  at  the  principal  shoals  in  the  Chattahoochee  river  below  Thompson's  bridge,  Hall  county  (table)   25,26 

Tributaries  of  the  Chattahoochee  river   26-29 

Nickajack  creek   26 

Soap  creek     26, 27 

Willeo  creek   27 

Vickery's  creek   27 

Chestatee  river   27, 28 

Yahoola  river   28, 29 

Cane  creek   28,29 

Tributaries  of  the  Chattahoochee  river  (table)   28 

835— viii 


iv  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

Page. 

THE  FLINT  RIVER   29 

Tributaries  of  the  Flint  river   29, 30 

Tobler  creek   30 

Big  Potato  creek  -   30 

Estimate  of  power  at  Rogers'  privilege,  near  Thomaston  {table)    30 

Tributaries  of  the  Flint  river  (table)   30 

Utilized  power  on  tributaries  of  the  Appalachicola  river  (table)   . ............    31-33 

Utilized  power  on  sundry  streams  tributary  to  the  eastern  Gulf  (table)      33, 34 

Summary  of  power  utilized  on  streams  tributary  to  the  eastern  Gulf  (table)      34 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS.  . 

Fig.  1.— Plan  of  the  Tallassee  Falls  Manufacturing  Company's  water-privilege    8 

2.  — View  of  the  Tallassee  falls,  Tallapoosa  river   8 

3.  — Tallassee  Falls  Manufacturing  Company's  mill   9 

836 

0 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


Boston,  Mass.,  July  9, 1883. 

"Professor  W.  P.  Trowbridge, 

Columbia  College,  New  York.  N.  Y. 
Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  a  report  upon  the  water-power  of  the  eastern  Gulf  slope,  based  upon 
investigations  carried  on  under  your  direction  during  the  spring  of  1881.  Sufficient  time  was  at  command  for  only 
a  hasty  reconnaissance  of  some  of  the  more  important  streams,  which  is  the  more  to  be  regretted  as  this  section 
was  found  to  be  extremely  attractive,  not  only  by  reason  of  its  extensive  and  varied  natural  resources,  including  a 
large  amount  of  available  water-power,  but  also  because  of  the  frequent  evidence  that  was  met  of  an  increasing 
interest  in  the  development  of  those  conditions.  It  is  desired  to  call  attention  to  the  principles  observed  in  the 
estimates  of  flow  and  power,  which  are  fully  explained  in  connection  with  the  report  on  the  region  tributary  to 
Long  Island  sound. 

Very  respectfully, 

D WIGHT  PORTER. 

837— v 


+ 


I 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2013 


http://archive.org/details/reportonwaterpow1855port 


THE  EASTERN  GULF  SLOPE. 


Although  the  section  thus  indicated  might  properly  embrace  all  the  gulf  slope  east  of  the  Mississippi  river,  it 
is  here  for  convenience  limited  to  that  portion  east  of  and  including  the  basin  of  the  Alabama  river.  As  thus 
defined  it  stretches  over  600  miles  along  the  coast,  from  Mobile  bay  to  cape  Sable,  and  extends  inland  a  distance 
varying  from  about  80  miles  in  the  Florida  peninsula  to  350  miles  in  northern  Georgia,  comprising  an  area,  in 
round  numbers,  of  92,000  square  miles.  The  principal  rivers  are,  in  order  from  the  west,  the  Alabama,  Perdido, 
Escambia,  Yellow,  Choctawhatchee,  Appalachicola,  Ocklockonee,  Ocilla,  Suwannee,  Withlacoochee,  Hillsborough, 
Ohilocohatchee,  and  Oaloosahatchee,  with  their  affluents.  But  of  these  main  rivers  only  the  Alabama  and 
Appalachicola  reach,  through  thier  tributaries,  far  enough  inland  to  include  within  their  basins  any  important 
water-powers.  The  remainder  are  comparatively  sluggish,  and  are  bordered  by  lowlands  subject  to  overflow.  They 
drain  a  region  accessible  only  to  a  limited  extent  by  railroad,  and  find  but  little  use  except  for  the  rafting  of  timber, 
and,  where  navigable,  a  small  amount  of  transportation  of  lumber  and  agricultural  products.  They  are  usually 
obstructed  by  snags  and  shoals,  but  in  most  cases  have  been  surveyed  and  found  susceptible  of  improvement  for 
navigation  at  moderate  expense. 

The  land  along  the  immediate  coast  is  often  swampy,  and  in  Florida  seems  to  retain  that  character  even  to  the 
upper  waters  of  the  streams.  In  the  cases  of  those  streams  heading  in  southern  Georgia  swamps  are  less  noticeable, 
but  yet  frequently  border  their  courses,  even  50  miles  or  more  from  the  Gulf.  Although  this  region  evidently  can 
have  but  little  value  for  water-power,  that  resource  is  not  entirely  lacking,  and  it  is  asserted  that  there  are  numerous 
short  streams,  reaching  back  but  a  little  way  from  the  coast,  which  are  nevertheless  characterized  by  a  remarkably 
full  and  uniform  flow,  and,  being  often  navigable  to  the  very  points  where  it  would  be  natural  to  improve  them  by 
dams,  offer  unusual  advantages  for  small  powers.  They  are  clear  streams,  running  over  sandy  beds,  and  are  free 
from  dangerous  rises.  A  striking  example  of  this  class  is  found  in  the  case  of  bayou  Minette,  which  empties  into 
the  bay  directly  opposite  the  city  of  Mobile.  It  heads  back  but  little  more  than  a  dozen  miles  and  drains  only  72 
square  miles,  yet  near  the  mouth  a  framed  dam  has  been  built  on  a  pile  foundation,  and  a  fall  of  10  feet  obtained,, 
with  a  minimum,  it  is  claimed,  of  not  far  from  200  horse-power.  By  the  power  thus  secured  there  are  run  a  cotton, 
factory  of  2,000  spindles,  a  woolen  factory  of  50  looms,  and  a  saw-mill.    Navigation  extends  directly  to  the  dam. 

Receding  northward  from  the  Gulf,  the  land  gradually  rises,  and  in  Alabama  to  a  distance  inland  of  100  or  125 
miles  we  are  upon  the  Tertiary  formation.  In  Georgia  this  reaches  still  farther  to  the  north,  and,  excepting  a  narrow 
strip  in  the  west,  is  limited  approximately  by  a  line  running  from  Columbus  northeasterly  through  Macon  to 
Augusta.  This  southern  division  is  distinguished  by  a  gently-undulating  surface,  a  thin  sandy  soil,  capable, 
however,  of  easy  and  great  improvement,  an  extremely  healthful  climate,  and  perhaps  is  most  noted  as  including 
the  great  pine-belt.  Almost  everywhere  there  is  a  magnificent  growth  of  the  long-leafed  pine,  with  much  hard 
wood  also  intermingled.  The  cutting  and  rafting  of  timber  is  an  active  and  growing  industry  along  most  of  the 
streams,  but  has  not  yet  been  in  general  so  far  prosecuted  as  seriomsly  to  diminish  the  supply. 

The  northern  limit  of  this  belt  in  Alabama  does  not  attain  an  elevation  of  more  than  350  or  450  feet.  It  is 
succeeded  to  the  north  by  the  Cretaceous  formation,  which  stretches  from  west  to  east  across  the  state  but  extends 
not  over  30  miles  into  Georgia.  In  Alabama  this  formation  has  a  general  width  from  north  to  south  of  about  50 
miles,  and  constitutes  the  so-called  cotton-belt.  It  is  but  moderately  timbered,  and  is  in  fact  a  prairie  region  with  a 
level  or  gently-undulating  surface.  The  black  soil  is  underlaid  by  the  rotten  limestone,  is  heavy  and  calcareous  in 
nature,  splendidly  adapted  to  the  production  of  cotton  and  corn,  and  also  yields  well  in  tobacco,  potatoes,  various 
small  grains,  and  grasses.  The  climate  is  less  healthful  than  either  to  the  north  or  to  the  south,  there  being  a  liability 
to  fevers  in  summer  and  autumn.  Springs  are  almost  entirely  lacking.  The  streams  rise  quickly  after  rains  and 
then  rapidly  sink  away,  and  often  go  nearly  or  quite  dry. 

Passing  beyond  this  belt  still  farther  north  we  come  upon  the  elevated  and  mountainous  portions  of  Alabama 
and  Georgia,  the  region  in  which  principally  lie  their  resources  in  the  way  of  water-power.  The  great  Appalachian 
system  which  follows  down  the  Atlantic  coast  throws  out  spurs  into  these  states,  reaching  well  toward,  and  at 

839—1 


2 


WATER-POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


points  even  below,  their  centers,  and  giving  to  the  streams  hard  enduring  channels  in  which  to  flow,  and  rapid  fall. 
The  southern  boundary  of  this  elevated  section,  geologically  known  in  Alabama  as  the  Middle  region,  and 
geographically  subdivided  in  Georgia  into  the  Middle  and  Northern  regions,  may  very  well  be  shown  by  a  curving 
line  passing  from  Fayette,  in  northwestern  Alabama,  southeasterly  through  Tuscaloosa,  Centerville,  Wetumpka, 
Tallassee,  and  on  to  Columbus,  Georgia,  and  thence  in  an  approximately  straight  course  northeasterly  to  Augusta. 
In  Alabama  the  line  which  should  mark  the  boundary  between  this  region  and  the  cotton-belt,  or  Cretaceous 
formation,  already  described,  is  covered  by  a  belt  of  stratified  drift  material — gravels,  sands,  and  clays — stretching  in 
an*  east-and-west  direction  across  the  state,  with  a  width,  transversely,  varying  from  5  to  40  miles.  This  belt  is  well 
supplied  with  springs,  and  contains  numerous  short  streams,  of  which  Autauga  county  furnishes  notable  examples, 
that  are  finely  suited  to  powers  of  moderate  size. 

The  average  elevation  of  the  mountainous  portions  of  Alabama  and  Georgia  would  be  difficult  to  state  with 
much  accuracy.  What  is  described  as  the  Middle  region  of  Georgia,  the  southern  boundary  of  which  has  been 
defined,  and  the  northern  limit  of  which  is  roughly  shown  by  an  east-and-west  line  through  Atlanta  and  Athens, 
is  estimated  to  have  an  average  altitude  above  the  sea  of  750  feet,  which  is  also  given  for  northwest  Georgia,  lying 
to  the  west  of  the  Cohutta  range.  Northeastern  Georgia,  extending  from  the  Cohutta  range  easterly  to  the 
Savannah  and  Tugaloo  rivers,  has  an  estimated  mean  elevation  of  1,500  feet,  and  includes  peaks  which  attain  heights 
of  nearly  5,000  feet.  In  the  metamorphic  region  of  eastern  Alabama  the  general  elevation  is  said  to  lie  between 
800  and  1,200  feet. 

The  natural  resources  of  this  section  are  wonderful  in  extent  and  variety,  and  are  as  yet  but  slightly  developed. 
The  bituminous  coal  which  is  found  is  confined  mainly  to  Alabama,  where  it  covers  a  vast  district  in  the  northern 
central  part  of  the  state,  embracing,  it  is  estimated,  5,500  square  miles.  Three  principal  fields  are  recognized — the 
Warrior,  Coosa,  and  Cahaba — the  first  including  of  itself  about  5,000  square  miles.  The  Coosa  coal-field  stretches 
northeasterly  along  the  river  of  the  same  name,  and  its  prolongation  in  Georgia  takes  in  the  three  counties  of 
Dade,  Walker,  and  Chattooga ;  otherwise  Georgia  is  without  deposits  of  coal.  Magnificent  beds  of  iron  ore  occur 
throughout  northeastern  Alabama  and  northern  Georgia,  and  in  the  former  state  there  are  at  certain  localities 
combined  the  unusual  advantages  of  ore,  coal,  and  limestone  within  a  short  distance  on  either  side  of  a  single  valley. 
Gold  is  largely  and  profitably  mined  in  the  section  drained  by  the  upper  Tallapoosa  river  in  eastern  Alabama  and 
the  adjacent  portion  of  Georgia,  and  in  the  upper  basins  of  the  Etowah  and  Chattahoochee  rivers  in  northeastern 
Georgia.    Copper,  lead,  asbestos,  and  other  minerals  are  also  found. 

In  describing  the  elevated  portions  of  these  states  it  is  especially  important,  with  reference  to  their  water- 
power,  to  notice  the  boundaries  of  the  metamorphic  formation.  In  Alabama,  it  is  confined  within  a  line  drawn  as 
follows:  From  Columbus  on  the  Chattahoochee  river,  westerly  through  Tallassee  to  Wetumpka,  thence  northerly, 
a  little  west  of  the  Coosa  river,  nearly  to  Shelby  ville ;  the  boundary  line  then  turns  to  the  northeast  toward  Georgia 
again,  and  follows  the  general  course  of  the  Selma,  Eome,  and  Dalton  railroad,  but  distant  from  it  from  5  to  10  miles 
southward,  until  it  reaches  the  state  line.  In  Georgia,  the  metamorphic  region  includes  every  thing  north  of  a  line 
running  from  Columbus  to  Augusta,  excepting  eight  or  ten  counties  in  the  extreme  northwest  corner  of  the  state. 
While  the  coal  districts  that  have  been  noticed  have  a  sandy  and  loamy  soil,  difficult  to  improve,  easily  washed, 
and  with  little  agricultural  value,  the  metamorphic  region  has  a  large  amount  of  fine  farming  land,  the  staple 
productions  of  which  are  cotton  in  the  less  elevated  sections,  corn,  wheat,  oats,  rye,  barley,  clover,  grasses,  fruits, 
and  vegetables.  The  soils  are  red  and  gray,  with  clay  subsoil.  Building-materials,  including  granite  and  gneiss, 
abound,  and  there  is  some  marble.  The  hills  are  covered  with  splendid  oak  forests,  besides  which  pine,  ash,  elm, 
walnut,  and  hickory  are  common.  Springs  and  clear  running  streams  are  everywhere  plentiful,  and  the  climate 
is  very  healthful. 

The  southern  boundary  of  the  metamorphic  formation  is  very  clearly  indicated  by  a  series  of  shoals,  rapids, 
and  falls,  which  fill  the  courses  of  the  principal  streams  as  they  cross  its  borders  and  finally  escape  from  its  firm 
grasp.  These  falls  mark  the  head  of  navigation,  and  constitute  some  of  the  finest  water-powers  in  the  South.  On 
the  streams  to  be  considered  they  occur  in  the  Coosa  at  Wetumpka,  there  being  a  descent  of  80  feet  in  12  or  15 
miles  above  the  city;  on  the  Tallapoosa  at  Tallassee  falls,  where  there  is  a  fall  of  52  feet  in  300  feet,  and  a  total  of  84 
feet  in  about  2  miles ;  and  on  the  Chattahoochee  at  Columbus,  where  within  4  or  5  miles  the  descent  is  120  feet. 
Generally  speaking,  the  larger  streams  are  free  from  abrupt  falls  of  much  magnitude,  these  being  much  less  common 
than  on  rivers  of  corresponding  size  in  New  England  and  New  York,  and  their  descent  is  accomplished,  above  the 
fall-line,  by  rapids  and  occasional  low  pitches. 

These  rivers  may  be  contrasted  with  those  of  the  northeastern  states,  which  elsewhere  come  within  this  report, 
in  three  important  respects — fall,  volume,  and  accessibility.  As  just  noticed,  the  fall  is  usually  less  concentrated, 
and  is,  accordingly,  less  attractive  for  improvement  than  in  the  latter  section.  Excepting  Tallassee  and  Columbus, 
there  are  no  falls  on  the  main  portions  of  the  larger  rivers  under  discussion  to  be  compared  with  those  occurring  on 
the  Connecticut  and  Housatonic  rivers  in  western  New  England,  and  on  the  Hudson,  Black,  and  Genesee  rivers  in 
New  York  state. 

As  regards  the  steadiness  with  which  their  volumes  are  maintained  in  the  dry  season,  there  are  but  few  reliable 
data  to  be  found  for  the  water-power  streams  of  the  eastern  Gulf  slope,  and  such  as  do  exist  indicate  a  considerable 

840 


THE  EASTERN  GULF  SLOPE. 


3 


range  ill  value  among  different  ones;  it  appears  probable,  however,  that  as  a  class  they  are  in  this  respect,  also, 
at  some  disadvantage  as  compared  with  the  manufacturing  rivers  of  the  New  England  states  and  New  York.  There 
are  scarcely  any  records  of  long  series  of  observations  upon  temperature  and  rainfall  in  northern  Georgia  and 
Alabama  within  the  limits  of  the  region  we  are  considering,  but  some  idea  as  to  those  phenomena  may  perhaps  be 
gained  from  the  following  table,  compiled  from  the  (Smithsonian  publications.  For  the  sake  of  comparison,  two 
points  on  the  immediate  gulf  coast  are  added,  and  several  in  the  northeastern  states: 


Table  of  rainfall  and  temperature.  • 


Locality. 

Eleva- 
tion 

above 
sea. 

RAINFALL. 

TEMPERATURE. 

Years  of 
obser- 
vation. 

Spring. 

Summer. 

Autumn. 

Winter. 

Year. 

Years  of 
obser- 
vation. 

Spring. 

Summer. 

Autumn. 

Winter. 

Year. 

Feet. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

1,050 

9 

14.69 

12. 42 

10.  56 

15.13 

52.  80 

5 

58.27 

74.87 

58.44 

41.86 

58.36 

■Coosa basin  above  Wetumpka(a) . 

14.50 

14  00 

10.  00 

15.  50 

54.00 

60. 00 

76.00 

60.  00 

41.  00 

59.00 

Tallapoosa  basin  above  Tallas- 

14.  00 

13.50 

10.  50 

14. 50 

52. 50 

61.  00 

75.00 

66.  00 

44.00 

61.60 

see.(a) 

li.  50 

13.  00 

9.50 

14.  00 

49.  00 

58. 00 

74  00 

58.  00 

42.  00 

58.00 

Iambus,  (a) 

Mobile,  Alabama  

15 

5 

16.62 

21.  21 

11.42 

13.  40 

62.  65 

10 

66.87 

79.  00 

66.  27 

52.  43 

66.14 

Cedar  Keys,  Florida  

35 

10 

5.50 

20.43 

11. 76 

8.  09 

45.78 

11 

69.64 

81.05 

71.70 

57.87 

70.06 

Springfield,  Massachusetts   

200 

12 

11.  09 

12.52 

11.  72 

8.  85 

44. 18 

9 

46.  46 

71. 40 

50.72 

26.24 

48.  71 

Claremont,  New  Hampshire  

539 

8 

11.92 

12.11 

10.44 

9.08 

43.  55 

9 

43. 09 

67.  01 

47.37 

21.50 

44.74 

Albany,  New  York  

130 

36 

9.69 

12.34 

10.  50 

8.  03 

40.  56 

46 

46.  54 

70. 43 

49.  56 

25. 26 

47.96 

Rochester,  New  York  

- 

500 

44 

8. 05 

9.12 

9.27 

7.  21 

33.65 

38 

44  72 

68.04 

49.  02 

26. 46 

47.06 

a  Estimated. 


The  average  temperature  is  greater  in  the  water-power  region  of  the  gulf  states  than  in  New  England  and 
•New  York,  being  at  Atlanta  from  10  to  14  degrees  more  for  the  year  than  at  the  northern  cities  mentioned,  and  it 
seems  probable  that  the  annual  loss  by  evaporation  is  rather  greater  in  the  former  section  than  in  the  latter.  The 
annual  rainfall  on  the  three  basins  of  the  Coosa,  Tallapoosa,  and  Chattahoochee  rivers  exceeds  that  on  most  of  the 
New  England  streams,  but  its  distribution  through  the  year  is  less  favorable.  As  may  be  seen  from  the  table 
below,  the  downfall  on  the  interior  region  of  the  gulf  slope  is  least  in  summer  and  autumn,  when  it  ought  to  be 
greatest  in  order  to  meet  the  draughts  made  by  evaporation,  while  at  the  north  the  least  precipitation  is  in  winter 
and  spring. 

Table  showing  relative  distribution  of  rainfall  during  the  year. 


Locality. 

Mean 
annual 
rainfall. 

Rainfall, 
winter  and 
spring. 

Ratio  to 
mean 
annual' 
rainfall. 

Rainfall, 
summer 

and 
autumn. 

Ratio  to 
mean 
annual 
rainfall. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

52.80 

29.82 

0.  56 

22.98 

0.44 

Coosa  basin  above  Wetumpka  (a)  

54.  00 

30. 00 

0.56 

24.  00 

0.44 

Tallapoosa  basin  above  Tallassee  (a)  

52.  50 

28.50 

0:54 

24. 00 

0.46 

Chattahoochee  basin  above  Columbus  (a)  

49.  00 

26.  50 

0.54 

22.  50 

0.46 

62.  65 

30.  02 

0.48 

32.  63 

'  0.52 

45.78 

13.  59 

0.30 

32. 19 

0.  70 

Springfield,  Massachusetts  

44. 18 

19.94 

0.  45 

24.24 

0.  55 

43.  55 

21.  00 

0.48 

22.55 

0.  52 

Albany,  New  York  

40.  56 

17.72 

0.  44 

22.84 

0.  56 

Rochester,  New  York  

33.65 

15.26 

0. 45 

18.  39 

0.  55 

a  Estimated. 


The  streams  at  the  South  are  free,  it  is  true,  from  the  dangerous  ice-freshets  which  sometimes  occur  farther 
north,  but  they  are  subject  during  winter  and  spring  to  freshets  caused  by  heavy  rains,  and  in  their  less  rapid 
portions  are  at  such  times  visited  by  rises  which  are  almost  unparalleled  on  the  streams  with  which  they  are  being 
contrasted.  The  Coosa  has  reached  a  height  of  54  feet  above  low  water  at  the  head  of  navigable  waters  at 
Wetumpka  ;  the  Chattahoochee  has  been  known  to  rise  42  feet  at  Columbus  below  the  falls,  and  at  points  on  the 
river  above  the  extreme  oscillations  have  ranged  from  25  feet  down,  according  to  locality.  In  its  upper  course, 
even,  the  Flint  river  is  said  to  have  risen  25  feet  in  the  spring  of  1881.  On  the  other  hand,  the  highest  freshet-rise 
ever  known  in  the  Connecticut  river  at  Hartford,  entirely  below  all  the  falls,  and  where  the  ordinary  slope  is 
-extremely  small,  with  a  tributary  drainage  area  above  of  over  10,000  square  miles,  did  not  exceed  30  feet. 

The  southern  streams  which  we  are  discussing  are  at  a  disadvantage  in  another  important  condition,  namely, 
the  opportunities  for  extensive  storage  in  one  season  to  meet  the  demands  of  another.    There  seems  to  be  for  this 

841 


4 


WATER-POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


purpose  an  entire  absence  of  large  natural  lakes,  ponds,  and  swamps,  which  are  of  such  value  as  regulators  of  flow, 
even  when  unimproved,  and  which  acquire  great  additional  importance  when  capable,  as  they  usually  are  in  New 
England,  of  being  raised  and  controlled  by  dams.  Of  course,  the  ordinary  mill-dams  along  a  stream  hold  back, 
jn  the  aggregate,  a  large  amount  of  water ;  but  as  to  facilities  for  storing  extensive  supplies  in  spring  for  use  during 
summer  and  autumn,  such  as  exist  throughout  New  England  and  northern  and  central  New  York,  they  appear  to  be 
entirely  lacking  on  the  eastern  gulf  slope.  It  is,  to  be  sure,  conceivable  that  in  the  latter  section  dams  should  be 
thrown  across  the  valleys  of  the  minor  streams,  and  artificial  storage  reservoirs  of  the  character  mentioned  thus  be 
formed ;  but,  unless  by  this  means  an  unusual  widening  of  a  valley  where  there  is  an  expanse  of  swampy  or 
otherwise  worthless  land  can  be  overflowed,  the  expense  and  danger  of  improvements  are  usually  out  of  proportion 
to  the  storage  obtained,  and  would  not  be  attempted  on  an  important  scale. 

In  the  third  place,  the  streams  tributary  to  the  Gulf  in  Alabama  and  Georgia  are  by  no  means  so  conveniently 
accessible  as  would  in  New  England  be  considered  essential  to  a  suitable  development  of  their  water-power.  The 
head  of  navigation  on  the  Alabama  river  is  over  300,  and  on  the  Chattahoochee  400  miles  from  the  Gulf.  There 
are  numerous  well-equipped  lines  of  railroad,  and  many  more  will  in  the  future  be  built,  but  the  present  lines  do 
not  usually  reach  directly  the  streams  m  those  portions  where  there  is  valuable  power.  Sometimes  they  follow  the 
water- sheds,  and  again  they  run.  parallel  to  the  rivers,  but  at  distances  of  from  5  to  25  miles,  near  enough  to  discourage 
the  building  of  new  roads,  and  yet  far  enough  away  to  render  necessary  a  vexatious  amount  of  transfer  by  teams. 
Spurs  can  be  run  to  the  streams,  but  they  would  accommodate  only  limited  sections. 

What  has  been  said  is  not  intended  to  detract  in  the  least  from  the  manifestly  great  value  for  power  of  the 
streams  of  upper  Georgia  and  Alabama.  While  perhaps  wanting  in  certain  advantages  enjoyed  by  the  rivers  of 
other  sections,  they  offer  many  magnificent  powers  and  are  surrounded  by  almost  unexampled  agricultural  and 
mineral  resources.  Especially  for  the  manufacture  of  cotton  and  woolen  goods  do  the  conditions  seem  favorable ;  and 
that  the  fact  has  become  recognized  is  proved  by  the  frequent  construction  of  new  mills  and  by  the  encouragement 
given  by  the  state  of  Georgia  to  such  enterprises.  By  an  act  of  the  legislature  passed  in  1872,  it  w'as  declared 
that — 

Any  mill  or  mills  within  said  state,  for  the  manufacture  of  fabrics  out  of  cotton  or  wool,  or  both,  whether  such  investment  be 
applied  in  the  establishment  of  a  new  factory  or  in  the  extension  or  enlargement  of  a  now  existing  factory,  shall  be  exempt  from 
taxation  for  state,  county,  and  municipal  purposes,  on  the  capital  so  invested,  and  on  any  property  purchased  or  erected  therewith, 
intended  for  and  necessary  to  such  manufacture,  for  the  term  of  ten  years  from  and  after  the  laying  of  the  foundation  of  the  mills  so  to 
be  erected. 

Without  going  into  a  discussion  of  the  relative  advantages  for  cotton-manufacturing  of  the  South  and  of  New 
England,  it  is  evident  that  a  great,  and  possibly  the  most  prominent,  point  in  favor  of  the  former  is  the  fact  that 
the  cotton  factories  and  sources  of  supply  of  the  raw  material  are  brought  very  close  together.  The  climate  is 
equable  and  mild,  and  on  account  of  its  humidity  is  favorable  to  certain  of  the  processes  of  manufacture.  While  the 
summer  temperature  is  claimed  not  to  be  so  great  in  northern  Alabama  and  Georgia  as  to  be  enervating,  the 
absence  of  severe  cold  in  the  winter  season  materially  reduces  the  cost  of  heating  factories  and  the  living  expenses 
of  operatives.  As  a  rule,  the  labor  in  the  mills  is  now  performed  by  native  whites,  who  are  said  to  work 
contentedly  long  hours  for  low  wages,  without  a  thought  of  organizing  strikes.  As  to  whether  this  state  of  things 
will  continue  unchanged  after  manufacturing  has  become  more  developed  here,  and  even  as  to  whether  the  hands 
employed  are  as  efficient  as  a  similar  class  of  labor  at  the  North,  there  may  be  some  question.  The  profits  earned 
in  late  years  by  the  Georgia  and  Alabama  mills,  usually  exceeding  20  per  cent,  per  annum,  are  a  very  good 
indication  that  cotton-manufacturing  in  those  states  is  a  successful  industry. 

THE  ALABAMA  RIVER  AND  TRIBUTARIES. 

THE  ALABAMA  RIVER. 

This  important  river  is  formed  a  short  distance  above  Montgomery,  Alabama,  and  somewhat  southeast  of  the 
center  of  the  state,  by  the  union  of  the  Coosa  and  Tallapoosa  rivers,  its  principal  tributaries.  It  runs  westerly  and 
then  southwesterly,  passing  through  or  bordering  upon  the  counties  of  Elmore,  Montgomery,  Autauga,  Lowndes, 
Dallas,  Wilcox,  Monroe,  Clarke,  and  Baldwin  ;  about  50  miles  by  water  from  Mobile  it  joins  the  Tombigbee  to  make 
up  the  Mobile  river,  which  flows  southerly  into  the  bay  of  the  same  name. 

The  Alabama  river  comprises  in  its  drainage  basin  23,700  square  miles,  of  which  17,970  lies  in  Alabama,  5,620  in 
Georgia,  and  a  little  over  100  square  miles  in  Tennessee.  It  is  150  miles  long  by  general  course,  but  is  a  very 
tortuous  stream,  and  taking  into  account  the  bends  has  a  length  by  survey  of  312  miles.(a)  Along  its  borders  are 
rich  alluvial  lands,  and  large  tracts  of  timber  are  also  accessible  from  the  river  and  its  tributaries.  Navigation 
extends. throughout  the  year  for  boats  of  not  over  3  feet  draught,  and  during  the  high  water  of  fall  and  winter  is  open 


842 


a  According  to  Berney's  Hand-book  of  Alabama. 


THE  EASTERN  GULF  SLOPE. 


5 


to  almost  any  draught.  The  principal  obstructions  are  bars  and  snags,  and  to  remove  these  and  to  provide  a  navigable 
channel  of  4  feet  depth  in  low  water,  and  a  minimum  width  of  200  feet,  plans  have  been  developed  under  the 
direction  of  Captain  A.  If.  Damrell,  Corps  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  army.  The  improvement  described  is  designed  to 
extend  over  the  entire  length  of  the  river,  to  Wetumpka  on  the  Coosa,  and  is  estimated  to  cost  $230,000.  From, 
1878  to  1881,  inclusive,  $100,000  was  appropriated  by  Congress  to  this  work,  which  has  steadily  been  prosecuted. 
The  principal  points  on  the  river  are  Montgomery,  population  17,000,  and  Selma,  7,500.  Steamers  ply  regularly 
between  Montgomery  and  Mobile,  and  transport  large  amounts  of  cotton,  lumber,  and  other  products.  Mobile  has, 
in  round  numbers,  30,000  inhabitants,  and  though  the  business  at  that  point  in  cotton  has  declined  from  thfi 
prominence  once  enjoyed,  a  tine  trade  in  lumber  is  said  to  be  growing  up. 

In  1875  the  flow  of  the  river  was  gauged  at  a  point  some  28  miles  below  Montgomery,  by  Mr.  Gavin  B.  Yuille, 
United  States  assistant  engineer.  The  measurement  was  made  at  a  stage  about  1  foot  above  ordinary  low  water, 
and  gave  a  discharge  of  3,711  cubic  feet  per  second.  The  drainage  area  at  the  locality  of  gauging  being  about 
16,G50  square  miles,  the  above  discharge  corresponds  to  0.22  cubic  foot  per  second  per  square  mile.  The  river  is 
subject  to  heavy  oscillations  from  freshets,  and  there  is  reported  to  have  been  in  1871  a  rise  near  the  mouth  of  20 
feet  above  low- water  mark,  increasing  farther  up  stream,  and  reaching  between  50  and  60  feet  on  the  Coosa  river  a 
little  way  above  the  head  of  the  Alabama. 

TRIBUTARIES  OF  THE  ALABAMA  RIVER. 

With  the  exception  of  the  Coosa,  Tallapoosa,  and  Cahaba,  the  Alabama  river  has  no  large  tributaries;  but 
flowing  into  it  at  various  points  are  creeks  which  appear  unimportant  on  the  map,  but  which  really  carry  considerable 
water  and  would  prove  reliable  for  powers  of  moderate  size.  At  present  they  are  used  only  in  a  small  way  by 
occasional  saw-mills,  grist-mills,  and  cotton-gins.  Very  few  of  them  are  conveniently  reached  by  railroad,  and  no 
special  information  as  to  their  fall  or  volume  is  at  hand. 

Those  south  of  the  latitude  of  Camden  lie  in  the  pine-belt,  the  country  being  covered  with  a  splendid  growth 
of  long-leafed  pine.  The  surface  is  hilly,  the  soil  is  light  and  sandy  and  well  suited  to  the  production  of  fruit  and 
vegetables.   The  climate  of  the  higher  lands  is  healthful ;  springs  abound  and  the  streams  are  well  sustained. 

Lowndes  and  Dallas  counties  are  in  the  cotton-belt,  and  some  idea  may  perhaps  be  formed  of  the  streams  draining 
them  from  the  nature  of  the  country.  The  surface  is  comparatively  level,  with  a  rich  black  soil,  a  moderate 
amount  of  timber,  and  but  few  springs.  Cotton  and  corn  are  the  main  products,  but  the  soil  also  does  well  with 
wheat,  rye,  oats,  tobacco,  potatoes,  barley,  buckwheat,  sugar-cane,  millet,  and  grasses.  Some  limestone  answering 
fairly  well  for  building  and  burning  is  said  to  be  found.  The  streams  are  scarcely  at  all  used  for  power,  and  are 
probably  unreliable. 

In  Autauga  county  there  are  several  streams  which  are  used  to  some  extent  by  saw-  and  grist-mills,  while  at 
Prattville  and  Autaugaville  there  are  cotton  factories.  The  streams  here  referred  to  would  doubtless  furnish 
numerous  good  privileges ;  Autauga  and  Swift  creeks  were  especially  mentioned  as  valuable,  but  the  others  are 
close  at  hand  and  presumably  possess  the  same  general  features.  The  main  courses  lie  within  the  so-called  cotton- 
belt,  but  the  Autauga  County  streams  differ  from  the  prairie  streams  of  Montgomery,  Lowndes,  and  Dallas  counties 
in  that  they  are  upon  a  strip  of  gravel,  sands,  and  clays,  which  follows  along  the  northern  border  of  the  cotton-belt, 
and'  which  is  well  supplied  with  springs,  thus  contributing  to  their  steadiness. 

Autauga  creek  is  perhaps  a  good  representative  of  the  streams  just  mentioned.  It  runs  southerly  through 
Autauga  county,  and  empties  into  the  Alabama  river  8  miles  west  of  Montgomery.  It  is  not  over  25  miles  longr 
and  drains  125  square  miles,  the  country  having  a  tolerably  level  surface,  well  timbered  with  pine.  The  creek  has 
a  moderate  current  and  flows  between  rather  low  banks;  its  bed  is  sandy  and  its  water  is  very  clear  and  pure. 
At  Prattville  the  average  width  is  perhaps  40  feet.  The  volume  is  remarkably  well  maintained,  owing  to  the 
presence  of  many  springs  in  the  section  drained,  and  scarcely  any  hinderance  is  experienced  at  Prattville,  the 
principal  point  where  power  is  used,  from  either  low  or  high  water. 

On  the  upper  course  of  the  creek  there  are  small  saw-mills,  but  the  timber  near  at  hand  has  largely  been  cut 
away.  Quite  an  important  power,  however,  is  in  use  at  Prattville,  a  thriving  place  of  1,000  inhabitants,  about  12 
miles  from  Montgomery,  with  which  it  is  connected  by  rail.  Manufacturing  was  begun  here  about  the  year  1845, 
and  four  establishments  are  now  run  by  the  water-power  of  the  creek.  The  Prattville  Cotton  Manufacturing  Company 
makes  coarse  white  ducks,  and  has  made,  and  still  has  the  facilities  for  making,  sheetings  and  shirtings.  The 
company  employs  140  hands,  native  whites  mostly,  and  runs  128  looms  and  5,600  spindles.  The  Daniel  Pratt  Cotton 
Gin  Company  has  quite  extensive  works,  and  there  is  also  a  sash-and-blind  shop  and  a  small  grist-mill.  All  of  these 
concerns  are  run  from  the  same  privilege,  using  together  about  250  horse-power  with  a  fall  of  17£  feet.  The  supply  of 
water  is  sufficient  at  all  times  of  the  year  for  running  at  full  capacity,  though  there  is  not  much  surplus  in  a  low  stage. 

The  dam  was  built  at  least  30  years  ago,  and  is  of  brick  laid  in  cement.  It  rests  on  a  bed  of  marl,  is  150  feet 
long,  12  or  15  feet  high,  18  feet  wide  at  the  base  and  3  feet  wide  at  the  top.  A  plank  apron  protects  the  stream-bed, 
and  the  dam  is  surmounted  for  its  whole  length  by  a  stout  timber  bulkhead  containing  waste-gates.  The  pondage 
above  the  dam  is  estimated  at  30  acres. 

A  short  distance  up  stream  there  is  an  unoccupied  fall  of  8£  feet,  formerly  in  use;  the  mill  was  burned,  but 
the  dam  remains.    A  little  way  below  the  Prattville  factory  a  3-set  woolen-mill  has  a  fall  of  5  feet,  but  was  not  in 

843 


6 


WATER-POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


operation  at  the  time  it  was  visited.  Swift  creek,  to  the  westward,  in  the  same  county,  is  reported  to  have  a  larger 
volume  than  Autauga  creek,  which  might  be  expected  from  the  fact  that  its  drainage  area  is  a  third  greater. 

Minor  tributaries  of  the  Alabama  river. 


Name  of  stream. 


Autauga  creek  

Swift  creek  

Little  Mulberry  creek  

Polecat  creek  

Mulberry  creek  at  Callierville  

Mulberry  creek  above  Polecat  creek  

Mulberry  creek  at  mouth  

'Cotoma  creek  

Pintlala  creek  

Big  Swamp  creek  

N»rth  branch  of  Cedar  creek  

South  branch  of  Cedar  creek  

Cedar  creek  at  month  

Bogue  Chitte  at  Martin's  

Bogue  Chitte  at  mouth  

Chilatchee  creek  

Pine  Barren  creek  at  Sekna  and  Gulf  Bailroad  crossing 

Pine  Barren  creek  at  mouth  

Dickinson's  creek  

Turkey  creek  

Parsley  creek  (including  Gravelly  creek)  

Bear  creek  (including  Duck  creek)  

Cane  creek   

Silver  creek  

Flat  creek  

Limestone  creek  

Pigeon  creek  

Lovet's  creek  

Little  river    

Major's  creek  


Drainage 
area. 


Sq. 


miles. 
125 
163 
109 

58 
141 
229 
288 
383 
308 
264 
147 
235 
497 
259 
377 
140 
236 
360 

55 
245 
HI 

59 

43 

30 
315 
194 

45 
108 
153 

46 


Bemarks. 


These  lie  in  Autauga  county  mainly,  in  a  dis- 
trict well  supplied  with  springs,  and  are 
good  streams,  with  clear  waters  and  well- 
maintained  volume. 


These  may  be  classed  as  prairie  streams. 
They  lie  in -the  cotton-belt,  in  a  district  de- 
ficient in  springs,  and  with  a  flat  open  sur- 
face. With  the  exception  of  Pine  Barren 
creek  none  are  reported  to  be  used  for  power, 
and  they  are  probably  not  favorable  for 
such  use. 


.  Situated  in  the  pine-belt,  where  the  surface  is 
[    undulating  and  sandy,  and  springs  abound. 


THE  CAHABA  RIVER. 

The  source  of  the  Cahaba  river  is  near  the  boundary  between  Saint  Clair  and  Jefferson  counties,  Alabama,  90 
miles  north  of  Montgomery.  The  stream  takes  a  southwesterly  and  then  southerly  direction,  passing  through  portions 
of  the  counties  of  Saint  Clair,  Jefferson,  Shelby,  Bibb,  Perry,  and  Dallas,  and  joins  the  Alabama  river  15  or  20  miles 
below  Selma.  In  former  years  the  river  was  navigable  for  88  miles  from  its  mouth,  to  Centre ville,  which  isaow 
looked  upon  as  the  head  of  navigation,  although  in  over  30  years  no  steamer  has  ascended  to  that  point.  This 
portion  of  the  river  was  surveyed  in  1874,  and  the  24  miles  up  stream  from  Centreville,  to  Shades  creek,  in  1880. 
From  the  report  of  Mr.  C.  B.  Percy,  United  States  assistant  engineer,  upon  this  latter  survey,(a)  most  of  the 
information  here  presented  is  drawn.  As  a  result  of  these  surveys  it  was  estimated  that  a  3-foot  channel  could  be 
secured  from  the  mouth  to  Centreville  at  a  cost  of  $195,000,  and  that  the  improvement  could  be  extended  by  locks 
and  dams  to  the  northern  boundary  of  Bibb  county  at  an  additional  expense  of  $381,000. 

The  Cahaba  has  a  length  of  about  115  miles,  measured  in  the  general  direction  of  its  flow,  and  a  drainage  area 
of  1,950  square  miles.  There  are  no  places  of  importance  directly  upon  its  course.  Cahaba,  at  the  mouth,  was 
once  the  state  capital,  but  is  now  a  little  village  of  100  or  200  inhabitants.  Centreville  has  a  population  of  about 
300,  and  Marion,  4  miles  west  of  the  river,  in  Perry  county,  2,100.  A  few  miles  from  the  river  in  its  upper  course 
is  Birmingham,  an  important  mining  town.  Although  a  considerable  portion  of  the  Cahaba  valley  is  sparsely 
settled,  the  resources  of  the  country  tributary  to  the  river  are  of  great  value.  In  Dallas,  Perry,  and  Bibb  counties 
the  cotton  production  is  large,  being  estimated  at  50,000  bales  annually.  Farther  up  the  river  are  magnificent 
deposits  of  iron  and  coal,  the  former  especially  noticeable  along  the  Little  Cahaba,  where  is  found  brown  hematite 
ore  in  inexhaustible  quantities,  fuel  and  flux  also  lying  close  at  hand. 

In  Berney's  Hand  book  of  Alabama  (1878)  the  following  account  is  given  of  the  fine  deposits  in  the  vicinity  of 
Birmingham:  "About  1  mile  to  the  southeast  of  the  corporation  lies  Bed  mountain,  said  to  be,  both  as  to  quantity 
and  accessibility,  the  most  remarkable  deposit  of  iron  ore  yet  known.  It  extends  in  a  northeasterly  and 
southwesterly  direction,  parallel  with  the  Alabama  Great  Southern  railroad,  for  about  30  miles  below  and  the  same 
distance  above  the  city,  attaining  its  maximum  depth  of  ore  opposite  the  latter  place,  where  it  contains  several 
seams  of  ore  averaging  nearly  50  per  cent,  of  metal  and  aggregating  about  25  feet  of  vertical  depth.   The  ores 


844 


a  See  Appendix  K,  Export  of  Chief  of  Engineeers,  1881. 


THE  EASTERN  GULF  SLOPE. 


are  red  and  brown  fossiliferous.  Besides  these  there  are  magnetic  and  black-band  ores  within  reach  and  of  easy- 
access.  On  either  side  of  Jones'  valley,  in  which  Birmingham  is  located,  and  which  is  here  about  5  miles  in  width, 
lie  to  the  southeast  and  northwest,  respectively,  the  Cahaba  and  the  Warrior  coal-fields,  both  of  which  are  traversed 
by  the  South  and  North  Alabama  railroad.  A  dozen  or  more  mines  are  operated  near  Birmingham,  along  the  latter 
road,  to  say  nothing  of  others  off  the  railroads,  which  are  worked  in  a  rather  primitive  way,  the  coal  being  hauled 
in  wagons  to  market." 

Marble  suited  to  building-purposes  is  found  along  the  stream  within  10  miles  of  Centreville,  and  over  all  the 
upper  basin  there  is  a  splendid  growth  of  pine  timber. 

At  present  the  only  use  of  water-power  on  the  Cahaba  is  by  a  few  saw-  and  grist-mills  in  the  extreme  upper 
waters.  Above  Centreville  there  are  reported  to  be  good  opportunities  for  developing  power;  the  bed  and  banks 
are  favorable,  the  volume  is  tolerably  well  sustained,  the  current  is  swift,  and  interrupted  by  numerous  ripples  and 
rapids.  The  stream  is  at  the  disadvantage,  however,  of  having  poor  railroad  facilities;  its  lower  course  is  crossed 
by  the  Alabama  Central  railroad,  and  its  upper  portion  by  the  South  and  North  Alabama,  but  the  intervening  section 
is  without  convenient  means  of  access.  The  country  above  Centreville  is  rugged,  but  with  fine  lands  and  excellent 
timber.  For  about  10  miles  above  the  point  mentioned  the  river  is  described  by  Mr.  Percy  as  averaging  200  feet  in 
width.  The  bed  is  rock,  covered  here  and  there  with  gravel  and  sand.  The  surrounding  country  shows  considerable 
settlement  and  cultivation,  which  disappear  in  the  main  from  the  neighborhood  of  the  river  above.  For  the  next 
5  miles  the  rise  averages  nearly  11  feet  per  mile  (53.8  feet  of  rise  in  4.91  miles);  the  bed  is  rock,  covered  with 
bowlders,  and  the  stream  is  more  turbulent  than  below,  with  long  shoals  and  frequent  falls.  The  banks  rise  steep 
and  high  on  both  sides,  and  the  adjacent  country  is  heavily  clothed  with  pine. 

From  Shades  creek  down  to  Centreville,  23. G7  miles,  the  fall  is  121.4  feet,  or  an  average  of  5.13  feet  per  mile^ 
thence  to  the  mouth,  88  miles,  the  fall  is  127.4  feet,  equal  to  1.45  foot  per  mile.  During  Mr.  Percy's  survey  the 
discbarge  of  the  stream  was  determined  at  two  points,  but  the  measurements  seem  to  have  been  made  at  a  stage 
considerably  above  low  water,  and  are  not  therefore  of  much  value  for  the  purposes  of  this  work.  There  are  no 
records  showing  with  accuracy  the  rainfall  on  the  Cahaba  basin,  but  at  Greensborough,  a  little  to  the  west,  the 
average  of  twelve  years  is  13  inches  in  spring,  12  in  summer,  10  iu  autumn,  16  in  winter,  and  51  for  the  year. 
Concerning  that  part  of  the  river  above  Shades  creek  no  information  has  been  secured,  but  thence  to  Centreville 
there  are  several  shoals  of  importance,  the  fall  on  which,  as  revealed  by  the  government  survey,  is  given  in  the 
following  table,  together  with  a  rough  estimate  of  the  available  power : 

Estimate  of  power  at  the  principal  shoals  on  the  Cahaba  river,  from  Shades  creek  to  Centreville. 


Name  of  shoal. 

Drainage 
area. 

BALNFAIX  ON  BASIN.  (6) 

Length 
of  shoal. 

Fall  on 
shoal. 

THEORETICAL  HORSE-POWEB.  (C> 

Spring. 

Summer. 

Autumn. 

Winter. 

Tear. 

Low 
water, 
dry  year. 

Low 
water, 
average 

year. 

Available 
10  months, 
average 
year. 

« 

Half  11  ile  rapids  

Big  shoals  

Sq.  miles. 
570 

a  660 
1,080 

Inches. 
13 

Inches. 
12 

Inches. 
10 

Inches. 
16 

Inches. 
51. 

Feet. 
2,050 
1,820 
3,  800 
2, 300 
5, 050 
5,  000 

Feet. 

8.4 
12.2 

8.9 
14.  5 
22.3 

8.4 

80 
110 

80 
150 
230 
130 

110 
150 
120 
210 
330 
190 

150 
220 
170 
SOO 
480 
290 

a  Above  Little  Cahaba  river. 


6  Record  for  twelve  years  at  Greensborough.  c  Based  on  the  average  flow  for  the  twenty-four  hours. 

Drainage  areas  of  the  Cahaba  river  and  tributaries. 


Name  of  stream. 


East  Cahaba  river . 
West  Cahaba  river 

Shades  creek  

Little  Cahaba  river 

Hill's  creek  

Sandy  creek  

Haysoppy  creek  . . . 
Affiance  creek  


Drainage 
area. 


Sq.  miles. 
48 
163 
140 
292 
75 
35 
65 
43 


Name  of  stream. 


Blue  Gut  creek  

Legroon  creek  

Ockmulgee  creek  

Cahaba  river  at  junction  of  East  and  West  forks 

Cahaba  river  at  South  and  North  Alabama  Kail- 
road  crossing  

Cahaba  river  below  Shades  creek  

Cahaba  river  at  mouth  


Drainage 
area. 


Sq.  miles. 
39 
40 
251 
211 

331 
563 
1,950 


THE  TALLAPOOSA  RIVER. 

The  main  branch  of  this  river  rises  in  Paulding  county,  in  northwestern  Georgia;  it  flows  through  that  and 
Haralson  counties  into  Alabama,  and  then  continues  in  an  irregular  southwesterly  direction,  until  it  unites  with 
the  Coosa  to  form  the  Alabama  river.  The  main  portion  of  its  course  lies  in  the  region  of  metamorphic  rocks,  but 
at  Tallassee,  50  miles  from  its  mouth,  it  leaves  these  and,  descending  a  series  of  beautiful  falls  and  rapids,  enters 

845 


8  WATER-POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

upon  the  Cretaceous  formation.  The  area  drained  by  the  Tallapoosa  comprises  4,935  square  miles,  of  which  about 
700  are  in  Georgia.  This  region  is  distinguished  in  the  main  by  a  healthful  climate  and  by  the  possession  of 
valuable  mineral  and  agricultural  resources.  The  portion  south  of  the  latitude  of  Tallassee  is  in  the  cotton-belt ; 
it  is  cultivated  successfully  for  wheat,  rye,  oats,  and  a  variety  of  other  crops,  but  the  great  and  staple  productions 
are  cotton  and  corn.  To  the  northward  the  soil  is  reddish  or  gray,  with  clay  subsoil,  and  is  especially  suited  to 
the  raising  of  grain,  fruits,  and  vegetables,  though  cotton  can  be  grown  to  advantage.  The  granite  and  gneiss  of 
this  section  afford  good  building-material,  and  the  gneiss  has  been  used  for  the  Tallassee  cotton  factory.  Soapstone, 
asbestos,  mica,  and  corundum  are  found.  Gold  is  profitably  obtained  from  the  gravels  and  sands  at  Arbacoochee, 
in  Cleburne  county,  and  at  other  points ;  copper  occurs  in  the  same  county.  There  are  extensive  beds  of  iron  pyrites 
in  Clay  county,  and  in  Randolph  and  Chambers  counties  are  met  considerable  quantities  of  magnetite.  A  limited 
settlement  and  poor  railroad  facilities  have  prevented  any  great  development  of  these  resources. 

The  almost  entire  absence  of  suitable  railroad  communication  throughout  that  portion  of  the  river  having  value 
for  power  is,  of  course,  a  hiuderance  to  its  immediate  use  for  that  purpose,  but  will  be  remedied  as  the  country 
grows  and  new  lines  are  built.  The  Savannah  and  Memphis  railroad  runs  northwesterly  from  Opelika  and  crosses 
the  river  in  Tallapoosa  county,  but  the  main  stream  is  not  accessible  by  railroad  at  any  other  point  above  Tallassee; 
below  there,  most  of  the  way  to  the  mouth,  it  is  followed  at  a  moderate  distance  by  the  Western  Alabama  railroad. 

By  map  measurement  the  main  Tallapoosa  has  an  extreme  length  of  about  225  miles.  For  nearly  50  miles 
from  the  mouth  it  is  susceptible  of  being  made  navigable  at  a  moderate  outlay.  In  1880  a  survey  was  made  as  far 
as  the  Tallassee  falls  by  Mr.  Gavin  B.  Yuille,  United  States  assistant  engineer;  (a)  upon  this  were  based  estimates 
that  a  low- water  channel  of  3  feet  depth  and  60  feet  width  could  be  secured  for  48  miles  from  the  mouth,  to  the  foot 
of  the  Tallassee  reefs,  for  $40,000,  and  that  at  a  total  cost  of  $275,000  the  channel  could  be  made  80  feet  wide,  4  feet 
deep,  and  extended  to  the  foot  of  the  Great  falls,  2  miles  above. 

At  the  time  of  this  survey  the  discharge  of  the  river  was  gauged  at  Fort  Decatur  bluffs,  41  miles  from  the 
mouth,  and  found  to  be  1,420  cubic  feet  per  second;  the  stage  of  the  river  was  considered  to  be  mean  low  water. 
The  drainage  area  above  this  point  being  4,040  square  miles,  the  above  discharge  corresponds  to  0.35  cubic  foot  per 
second  per  square  mile. 

The  only  important  place  directly  on  the  main  river  is  Tallassee,  the  town  containing  about  1,200  inhabitants. 
Dadeville,  county-seat  of  Tallapoosa  county,  is  distant  a  few  miles  from  its  course,  and  has  a  population  of  700, 
and  Carrol lton,  Georgia,  near  the  head-waters  of  the  Little  Tallapoosa,  900.  The  main  portion  of  the  district 
drained  by  the  Tallapoosa  is  elevated  and  quite  hilly,  heavily  timbered  with  oak  and  yellow  pine.  In  Paulding 
and  Haralson  counties,  Georgia,  the  upper  waters  are  used  for  power  by  a  few  small  grist-  and  saw-mills,  but  the 
only  important  manufacturing  place  on  the  whole  stream  is  at  the  Tallassee  falls,  65  or  70  miles  by  river  from 
Montgomery  and  about  400  miles  from  Mobile.  Here  the  river,  which  above  is  a  rough  and  rapid  stream,  spreads 
out  to  a  width  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile  or  more  and  incloses  several  islands,  some  of  them  of  considerable  extent. 
Through  the  "sloughs"  thus  formed  it  has  a  rocky  bed  more  or  less  overlaid  by  gravel.  As  it  approaches  the  falls 
it  narrows,  and  through  two  or  three  principal  channels  pours  down  a  foaming  torrent,  descending  52  feet  in  about 
300  feet.  Immediately  below  the  Great  falls  it  decreases  in  width  to  from  200  to  400  feet  and  then  passes  on  through 
a  deep  pool  with  an  average  breadth  of  from  400  to  600  feet.  The  pool  is  a  quarter  of  a  mile  long,  and  is  succeeded 
by  rough  water,  which  continues  at  intervals  for  perhaps  a  mile  and  a  half  down  stream.  In  this  distance  the  bed 
appears  to  be  mainly  of  solid  rock,  with  many  bowlders ;  the  stream  pitches  over  numerous  low  ledges,  and  falls 
10  feet  at  one  point.  In  the  1J  or  2  miles  from  the  foot  of  the  Great  falls  to  the  lower  end  of  the  rapids  there  is  a 
total  descent  of  32  feet,  below  which  quiet  water  continues.  All  along  this  section  the  immediate  banks  are  abrupt 
and  high,  rising  probably  from  25  to  50  feet  above  low  water.  Near  the  falls  they  are  very  rocky,  while  at  other 
points  they  appear  to  be  of  loam,  gravel,  or  sand.  They  are  wooded  with  pine,  oak,  and  other  timber,  and  from 
their  summits  the  country  stretches  out,  almost  a  dead  level,  largely  covered  with  pine  woods,  but  broken  here 
and  there  by  extensive  patches  of  cultivated  ground  devoted  to  the  raising  of  corn  and  other  grains. 

At  the  Great  falls  the  river  descends,  as  has  been  said,  through  several  sloughs  or  channels.  Huge  masses 
of  weather-worn  rock  form  a  sort  of  natural  dam,  almost  closing  the  course;  they  are  composed  of  gneiss,  the 
strata  dipping  about  25  degrees  to  the  northward.  It  is  supposed  that  this  natural  dam  was  at  some  time  continuous 
across  the  river,  but  having  become  honeycombed  with  pot-holes,  many  of  which  are  to  be  seen,  either  entire  in 
the  unbroken  portion  of  the  rock  or  in  half-section  on  the  side-walls  of  the  channels,  portions  of  it  gave  way  and 
left  openings  for  the  water  as  at  present. 

In  1845  two  South  Carolina  planters  started  a  cotton-mill  at  this  place.  They  erected  a  low  building,  which 
is  still  used,  and  in  which  fire-arms  were  manufactured  during  the  civil  war.  In  1854  the  main  building  was 
constructed,  210  by  50  feet  in  size,  with  an  |_  of  48  by  50  feet  ;  the  structure  is  of  stone  and  is  five  stories  in  height. 
The  site  of  the  mills  and  the  little  village  is  in  a  vale  which  puts  back  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  the  ground 
rising  rapidly  to  an  elevated  plateau  which  commands  a  charming  view  of  the  valley  below. 

The  present  company  is  known  as  the  Tallassee  Falls  Manufacturing  Company,  and  has  a  capital  stock  of 
$400,000.  Sheetings,  shirtings,  duck,  cotton  rope,  and  cotton  yarn  are  made,  and  a  ready  sale  is  found  for  the 
bulk  of  the  goods  at  Montgomery.   In  the  spring  of  1881  there  were  run  18,000  spindles,  and  500  hands  were 

a  See  Appendix  K,  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  1881. 

846 


THE  EASTERN  GULF  SLOPE. 


9 


^employed.  The  latter  are  nearly  all  white  people  from  the  surrounding  native  population,  w  ho  are  said  to  learn 
quite  readily  and  to  do  their  work  well.  The  officers  of  the  company  state  that  they  find  labor  cheap,  employ  mainly 
girls,  and  are  never  troubled  with  strikes.  The  enterprise  is  of  great  advantage  to  the  surrounding  country,  not 
only  giving  employment  to  many  people,  but  affording  a  convenient  home  market  for  agricultural  products.  At 
the  time  these  mills  were  visited  the  daily  consumption  of  cotton  was  21  bales,  and  was  shortly  to  be  increased  to 
32  bales.  The  shipping  facilities  at  this  point,  however,  are  not  good,  there  being  but  one  railroad — the  Western 
Alabama — accessible,  and  in  order  to  reach  that,  goods  have  to  be  carried  6  or  7  miles  by  team  and  to  be  ferried 
across  the  river.  The  establishment  of  navigation  from  Montgomery  to  Tallassee  would  prove  of  great  value  to 
the  manufacturing  interest  there. 

Only  a  portion  of  the  flow  of  the  river  is  controlled  for  power  at  the  falls.  One  or  two  old  dams,  which  did 
not  serve  their  purpose  well,  remain  in  the  stream  just  above  the  present  structure,  which  is  simply  a  wing-dam 
running  from  the  west  shore  out  to  an  island.  It  is  built  of  stone  in  cement,  rests  upon  solid  rock,  and  is  some 
300  feet  in  length;  in  cross-section  it  is  9  or  10  feet  wide  at  the  base,  6  feet  wide  at  the  top,  and  varies  in  height 
above  foundation  from  6  to  15  feet.  An  iron  strap  runs  along  the  coping,  and  drift-bolts  extend  down  to  bed-rock. 
The  dam  has  a  masonry  abutment,  and  water  is  admitted  through  a  timber  bulkhead  to  the  canal.  This  follows 
along  the  side-hill,  having  a  heavy  retaining-wall  on  the  river  side,  and  ranges  from  15  to  30  feet  in  width  and  from 
5  to  7  feet  in  depth. 

The  extreme  fall  now  in  use  is  32  feet,  which  may  easily  be  increased  to  40  feet.  Uppermost  on  the  line  of  the 
canal  are  a  saw-mill  and  carpenter-shop,  using  together  perhaps  60  horse-power  from  old  scroll  wheels.  Then  follow, 
in  order,  an  overshot  wheel  running  a  pump  which  supplies  the  factory  and  village;  a  3-run  grist-mill  taking  power 
from  a  32-foot  overshot;  and  the  cotton-mills,  where  power  is  used  as  follows: 

Horse-power. 


Old  mill,  one  40-inch  Leffel  wheel,  24  feet  head,  rated  at   118 

Main  mill,  one  56-inch  Leffel  wheel,  24  feet  head,  rated  at   290 

Main  mill,  one  66-inch  Leffel  wheel,  24  feet  head,  rated  at   433 

New  mill,  one  48-inch  Leffel  wheel,  32  feet  head,  rated  at   264 


Total  rated  power  of  4  wheels   1, 105 


The  superintendent  of  the  factory  estimates  that  about  two-thirds  of  the  rated  power,  or  say  from  700  to  750 
horse-power,  is  actually  in  use.  Last  in  order  is  a  foundery  and  blacksmith-shop,  with  a  small  overshot  wheel.  It  is 
probable  that  altogether  not  far  from  900  effective  horse  power  is  in  use  on  the  privilege,  and  the  surplus  volume  of 
the  river  always  represents  a  large  additional  power  which  is  wholly  unemployed.  The  Tallasse  Falls  company  owns 
the  land  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  both  above  and  below  the  falls,  covering  a  distance  of  several  miles.  It 
also  owns  a  two-sixths  interest  in  the  power  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  at  the  falls.  That  site  is  capable  of 
being  developed  into  a  fine  privilege,  but  it  is  considered  that  its  improvement  would  be  expensive  on  account 
of  the  rock-cutting  which  would  be  necessary  for  a  canal. 

Below  the  main  falls  the  principal  disadvantage  to  the  development  of  power  lies  in  the  exposure  to  a  somewhat 
heavy  freshet-rise,  and  consequent  trouble  from  backwater.  The  Tallapoosa  is  a  stream  subject  to  large,  and 
sometimes  extremely  sudden,  oscillations,  brought  about  by  winter  and  early  spring  rains.  At  such  times  it 
becomes  a  turbid  and  dangerous  flood,  though  commonly  a  clear  and  beautiful  stream.  The  rise  in  this  vicinity 
varies  much  at  different  points;  at  the  head  of  the  Great  falls  it  is  only  5  or  6  feet,  at  their  foot  14  feet,  and  for  a 
mile  and  a  half  down  stream  about  20  feet,  never  reaching  the  top  of  the  banks,  however.  Still  below,  the  slope 
of  the  river  becomes  much  reduced,  freshet-waters  are  less  readily  carried  off,  and  the  rise  is  great  enough  at  times 
to  submerge  the  banks.  It  is  generally  considered  that  for  at  least  a  mile  below  the  main  falls  the  water-power 
can  be  improved  advantageously.  With  only  one  record  of  the  discharge,  and  hardly  any  data  concerning  the  rainfall 
on  its  drainage  basin,  it  is  difficult  to  make  a  reliable  estimate  as  to  the  power  of  the  Tallapoosa  in  this  vicinity, 
nor  can  it  here  be  stated  with  accuracy  how  much  fall  would  be  found  practically  available;  but  under  various 
assumptions  as  to  the  fall  it  is  probable  that  the  powers  expressed  in  the  following  table  could  be  realized : 


Estimate  of  power  at  Tallassee  falls  and  vicinity. 


Stage  of  river. 

KAINFALL  ON  BASIN,  (a) 

Drainage 
area. 

Flow  per 
second, 

average 
for  the 

24  hours. 

THEORETICAL  HOKSE-POWEB. 

Spring. 

Summer. 

Autumn. 

Winter. 

Tear. 

1  foot 
fall. 

32  feet 
fall(ex- 
treme 
fall 
now 
in  use). 

40  feet 
fall 

(easily 
available 
at  cotton 
factory). 

52  feet 
fall  (total 
at  Great 

falls). 

75  feet 
fall. 

84  feet 
fall (total 
from  lAad 
of  falls  to 

foot  of 
reefs, 
probably 

not  all 
available). 

Inches. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

Sq.  miles. 

Cu.  feet. 

Low  water,  dry  year  

(    1.  wo 

129.5 

4,140 

5, 180 

6,730 

9,710 

10,  880 

Low  wator,  average  year  

}  " 

134 

104 

524 

3,  520 

I     1, 430 

162.4 

5,200 

6,500 

8,440 

12, 180 

13,640 

Available  10  months,  average  year. . 

{    2, 000 

227.2 

7,  270 

9,090 

11,  810 

17,  040 

19,  080 

a  Koughly  estimated  from  Smithsonian  records. 

847 


10 


WATER-POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


Ascending  from  the  Tallassee  falls,  the  river  is  described  as  having  a  generally  rough  character.  It  flows  with 
rapid  current  over  a  rocky  bed,  and  is  frequently  crossed  by  low  ledges  forming  natural  dams.  The  banks  are 
high,  rocky,  and  wooded  with  pine  and  other  timber.  The  surrounding  country  is  very  hilly,  and  cultivated  qnly 
to  a  limited  extent.  As  previously  remarked,  there  is  no  manufacturing  above  Tallassee  except  by  a  few  saw- 
and  grist-mills,  mainly  in  the  extreme  upper  waters.  There  can  be  little  question,  however,  that  when  the  section 
drained  by  the  Tallapoosa  shall  have  become  more  developed,  the  splendid  water-powers  furnished  by  the  stream 
will  be  made  to  support  extensive  industries. 

The  main  river  receives  numerous  tributary  streams  which  are  used  by  small  saw-  and  grist-mills,  and  which 
are  said  to  offer  many  fine  opportunities  for  manufacturing.  The  Songahatchee,  emptying  from  the  east  a  few 
miles  above  Tallassee,  was  especially  referred  to  as  a  good  representative  of  these  tributaries,  which  have  generally 
rocky  or  gravelly  beds,  high  banks,  and  a  very  steady  discharge. 

Estimate  of  power  of  the  Tallapoosa  river  at  different  points  in  its  course. 


Locality. 


Tallapoosa,  Haralson  county,  Georgia 

Below  Ketchepedrakee  creek  

Below  Little  Tallapoosa  river  

Below  Hillabee  Hatchee  creek  

Below  Kiolijah  creek  

Tallassee  falls  


RAINFALL  ON  BASIN.  (<*) 


Spring. 


Inches. 
14 
14 
14 
14 
14 
14 


Summer. 


Inches. 
12 
12 
12 
12J 
13J 
13J 


Autumn. 


Inches. 
10 
10 
10 
10 
10J 
101 


Winter. 


Inches. 
15 
15 
15 
15 
141 
141 


Tear. 


Inches. 
51 
51 
51 
511 
521 
521 


Drainage 
area, 


Sq.  miles. 
205 
725 
1, 470 
2,570 
3.177 
3,520 


THEOBBT1C A  L  HOBBE-FOWBB 
PER  FOOT  OF  FALL.  (6) 


Low 
water, 
dry 
year. 

Low 

water, 
average 
year. 

Available 
10  months, 
average 
year. 

5.7 

9.1 

13.  e 

22.7 

34.1 

47.7 

51.1 

70.4 

98.8 

97.7 

122.7 

170.4 

119.3 

150.0 

209.0 

129.5 

162.4 

227.2 

a  Koughly  estimated. 


6  Based  on  the  average  flow  for  the  24  hours. 


Principal  tr  ibutaries  of  the  Tallapoosa  river  (in  order  from  its  source) 


Name  of  stream. 


Cane  creek  

Ketchepedrakee  creek  

Mad  Indian  creek  

Little  Tallapoosa  river  at  Carrollton  

Little  Tallapoosa  river  at  state  line  

Little  Tallapoosa  river  below  Cat  Nese  creek  

Little  Tallapoosa  river  at  mouth  

Cat  Nese  creek  (tributary  to  Little  Tallapoosa)  

Piney  creek  (tributary  to  Little  Tallapoosa)  

Wedowee  (?)  creek  (tributary  to  Little  Tallapoosa)  

Fox  creek  

Crooked  creek  

Chillisado  creek  

Cohensanersa  creek  

Hoolethloceo  creek  

Hillabee  Hatchee  creek  at  junction  of  East  and  West  forks 
Hillabee  Hatchee  creek  at  mouth  


Drainage 
area. 


Sq. 


miles. 
65 
56 
36 
75 
346 
480 
650 
23 
26 
49 
50 
82 
99 
69 
124 
167 
287 


Name  of  stream. 


Elkehatchee  creek  

Sandy  creek  at  Dadeville  

Sandy  creek  at  mouth  

Blue  creek  at  Savannah  and  Memphis  Railroad  crossing 

Blue  creek  at  mouth  

Kiolyah  creek  

Songahatchee  creek  north  of  Notasulga  

Songahatchee  creek  at  month  

Arapa  creek  at  Chehaw  

Arapa  creek  at  mouth  ■ 

Wallahatchee  creek  

Tomgahatchee  creek  

Caleebee  creek(a)  

Cupia  Hatchee  creek  (a)  

Oakfuskee  creek  (a)  

Hatchee  Chubbee  creek  


Drainage 
area. 


Sq.  miles. 
72 
49 
124 
86 
17ff 
131 
156 
247 
361 
452 
32 
46 
158 
127 
333 
72 


o  Lie  in  the  cotton-belt,  and  are  not  used  for  power. 


THE  COOSA  RIVER. 

This  river,  the  most  important  tributary  of  the  Alabama,  is  formed  at  Eome,  in  northwestern  Georgia,  by  the 
union  of  the  Etowah  and  Oostenaula  rivers.  It  passes  westerly  across  Floyd  county,  and  entering  Alabama  pursues  a 
southwesterly  and  then  southerly  direction,  till  it  joins  the  Tallapoosa  a  few  miles  below  Wetumpka.  In  its  passage 
through  Alabama  it  either  runs  across  or  borders  the  counties  of  Cherokee,  Etowah,  Saint  Clair,  Calhoun,  Talladega, 
Shelby,  Chilton,  Coosa,  and  Elmore.  Although,  measured  along  its  general  course,  this  river  is  only  about  165  miles 
long,  yet  its  actual  length,  following  the  many  windings,  is  not  far  from  335  miles. 

As  described  by  Professor  Tuomey,  the  Coosa,  from  its  source  to  Greensport,  Saint  Clair  county,  runs  along 
the  strike  of  the  rocks,  following  a  valley  between  the  strata.  It  then  turns  more  to  the  southward  and  crosses 
the  edges  of  the  strata,  forming  rapids  wbere  the  rock  is  hard  and  indestructible,  alternating  with  quiet  pools 
where  the  softer  limestone  is  met.  The  lower  course,  from  the  latitude  of  Shelbyville  to  Wetumpka,  is  along 
the  inner  edge  of  the  region  of  metamorphic  rocks.    These,  with  the  accompanying  rapids,  are  left  at  Wetumpka, 

848 


Fig.  3. — Tallesse  Falls  Manufacturing  Company's  mill. 


\ 


THE  EASTERN  GULF  SLOPE. 


li 


and  for  the  remaining  short  distance  to  the  mouth  there  is  deep  and  quiet  water.  The  Coosa  thuo  'Jomes  to  present 
the  unusual  condition  of  a  stream  navigable  at  its  head  and  foot,  but  for  a  long  intervening  distance  filled  with 
impassable  rapids.  From  the  mouth  navigation  is  shut  off  by  the  falls  at  Wetumpka,  but  from  Greensport  for 
about  180  miles  to  Eome  it  is  practicable  and  is  availed  of]  half  a  dozen  steamers  ply  over  this  portion  for  nine 
months  in  the  year,  and  three  of  them  throughout  the  year.  A  great  deal  of  lumbering  is  done  along  the  stream, 
and  large  amounts  of  timber  are  towed  to  Gadsden  in  rafts,  transferred  to  the  ailroad,  and  shipped  north. 

With  a  view  to  the  improvement  of  the  145  miles,  more  or  less,  of  river  between  Wetumpka  and  Greensport, 
several  surveys  have  been  made  by  the  general  government.  If  navigation  could  be  secured  over  this  stretch, 
then  it  would  extend  uninterrupted  foi  about  800  miles  from  Mobile  to  northwestern  Georgia  and  the  southern 
boundary  of  Tennessee.  In  order  to  bring  about  this  desirable  result  a  series  of  locks  and  dams  must  be  built,  the 
expense  of  the  improvement  from  Wetumpka  to  the  Selma,  Eome,  and  Dalton  Eailroad  crossing  being  estimated 
at  $2,650,000,(«)  and  for  the  remaining  portion  above  at  $550,000,(Z>)  or  about  $3,200,000  for  the  entire  distance.  Up 
to  the  spring  of  1881  the  work  actually  undertaken  had  been  confined  to  a  streteh  of  about  35  miles  below  Greensport. 
The  improvement  of  this  section,  under  charge  of  Major  W.  E.  King,  Corps  of  Engineers,  comprises  the  construction 
of  three  dams  and  accompanying  locks,  one  of  the  former  reaching  across  the  river,  1.100  feet,  a  second  closing  a 
chute,  and  a  third  extending  2,000  feet  up  stream  as  a  wing-dam. (c)  The  completion  of  another  dam,  at  what  are 
known  as  the  Broken  Arrow  shoals,  is  to  give  navigable  water  to  the  coal-fields  of  Saint  Clair  county.  TJp  to  March, 
1881,  inclusive,  $285,000  had  been  appropriated  to  this  part  of  the  Coosa  river. 

Drainage  areas. 

Square  miles. 


Etowah  river   1,940 

Oostenaula  river   2,190 

Coosa  river  below  junction  of  Etowah  and  Oostenaula  rivers   4, 130 

Coosa  river  at  mouth   10,  G10 


The  section  of  country  lying  within  the  Coosa  basiu  has  rich  resources  which  are  as  yet  scarcely  touched. 
Bituminous  coal,  iron,  and  limestone  abound,  often  in  close  proximity.  The  Coosa  coal-field  is  one  of  the  three  great 
coal-fields  of  Alabama,  and  along  its  southeastern  border  extends  what  is  described  by  Prof.  E.  A.  Smith  as  the 
"wide  limestone  valley"  of  the  river  we  are  studying.  As  stated  in  Berney's  Hand-book  of  Alabama,  the  main 
deposits  of  brown  Hematite  ore  in  the  state  lie  along  the  course  of  the  Selma,  Eome,  and  Dalton  railroad  (d)  from 
Brierfield  across  and  to  the  east  of  the  river,  and  along  the  line  of  the  Alabama  Great  Southern  railroad  to  the 
westward  of  the  river;  while,  stretching  to  the  northeast  from  Tuscaloosa  through  Birmingham  and  into  Georgia, 
there  is  a  wonderful  mass  of  red  hematite,  the  Eed  Mountain  deposit  of  which  has  already  been  described  in  speaking 
of  the  Cahaba  river.  The  principal  iron  mining  in  the  Coosa  basin  in  Alabama  is  at  Shelbyville,  in  Shelby  county, 
and  at  various  points  in  Cherokee  county.  Several  other  minerals  are  found  in  this  section,  including  gold,  copper, 
lead,  plumbago,  and  manganese.  Slate  of  fine  quality,  pottery  and  fire-brick  clay,  and  soapstone  occur,  while  the 
limestone,  granite,  and  gneiss  afford  excellent  building-materials.  There  are  extensive  forests  of  pine,  oak,  and 
other  varieties  of  timber.  The  agricultural  resources  are  also  valuable,  the  soil  in  the  lower  basiu  being  best 
adapted  to  cotton,  and  in  the  upper  portion  to  grain.  The  most  important  points  along  the  river  are  Wetumpka, 
some  10  miles  from  the  mouth,  with  a  population  of  800;  Gadsden,  in  Etowah  county,  with  1,700;  and  Eome, 
Georgia,  with  3,900. 

From  what  has  been  said  it  may  be  seen  that  the  only  portion  of  the  river  to  be  considered  with  reference  to 
water-power  is  that  lying  between  Greensport  and  Wetumpka,  covering  in  the  neighborhood  of  145  miles.  So  far 
as  can  be  learned  there  is  at  present  no  power  used  in  this  distance  except  by  a  small  flouring-  and  grist-mill  in 
Saint  Clair  county,  obtaining  a  fall  of  3J  feet,  probably  by  a  wing-dam.  In  the  report  by  Major  Walter  McFarland, 
Corps  of  Engineers,  TJ.  S.  army,  embodied  in  the  Chief  of  Engineers'  Report  for  1872,  the  fall  from  Greensport  to 
Wetumpka  is  stated  as  360  feet;  and  the  total  fall  upon  rapids  between  the  Selma,  Eome,  and  Dalton  Eailroad 
crossing  and  Wetumpka  as  260  feet.  The  superintendent  of  the  East  Tennessee,  Virginia,  and  Georgia  railroad 
gives  the  elevation  at  its  Eome  crossing,  at  the  head  of  the  Coosa,  as  652  feet  above  tide. 

Although  from  lack  of  time  the  river  was  not  personally  examined,  it  is  judged  from  government  engineers' 
descriptions  of  it  that  at  many  points  on  the  rapids  power  might  be  developed  to  advantage ;  and  since  it  contains 
numerous  long  islands  forming  chutes  between  themselves  and  the  adjacent  banks,  it  is  not  improbable  that  at 
such  points,  as  is  the  case  on  the  Chattahoochee  river,  good  powers  might  be  obtained  at  slight  expense.  The 
width  of  the  river  is  large  on  the  shoals,  ranging  from  650  to  2,000  feet  above  the  Selma,  Eome,  and  Dalton 
Eailroad  crossing,  and  from  1,000  to  3,000  feet  on  the  section  below.  The  control  of  the  entire  flow  of  the  stream 
would  therefore  in  many'  cases  involve  heavy  expense  for  a  dam,  and  certainly  no  such  enterprise  would  be 
undertaken  without  having  regard  to  the  possible  improvement  of  the  entire  river  by  the  United  States  government. 

a  Senate  Ex.  Doc.  No.  42,  Forty-sixth  Congress,  third  session, 
b  See  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  77.  S.  army,  1881,  p.  1873. 
c  See  Appendix  X9,  Beport  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  1881. 
d  Alabama  division  of  the  East  Tennessee,  Virginia,  and  Georgia  railroad. 
•   1012  "W  P— VOL  16  54  849 


12 


WATER-POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


As  has  been  said,  the  design  is  to  extend  the  system  of  locks  and  dams  so  as  ultimately  to  overcome  all  the  rapids 
by  slack- water  navigation.  If  that  design  should  be  carried  out,  the  surplus  water  at  the  dams  above  the 
requirements  of  lockage  would  probably  be  available,  under  proper  restrictions,  for  power;  and  the  opinion  is 
expressed  by  those  engineers  having  charge  of  the  river,  that  favorable  sites  for  manufacturing  would  undoubtedly 
thus  be  created. 

Probably  the  principal  disadvantage  that  would  be  experienced  in  the  actual  use  of  power  would  be  an 
occasional  hinderance  from  backwater  during  freshets,  which  are  sometimes  very  heavy  and  sudden.  Eegarding 
the  rises  in  the  river,  Mr.  Gavin  B.  Yuille,  United  States  assistant  engineer,  in  his  report  upon  a  survey  of  the  68J 
miles  above  Wetumpka,(a)  remarks  as  follows: 

The  oscillation  of  the  river-surface  during  freshets  was  found  to  be  very  variable,  being  governed  by  width  and  inclination  of  the 
channel.  On  the  shoals  where  the  river-channel  is  from  1,000  to  3,000  feet  wide  and  there  is  an  inclination  of  10  or  12  feet  in  a  mile,  the 
oscillation  ranges  from  6  to  8  feet,  while  at  Wetumpka,  where  the  river  has  a  width  of  700  feet  between  high  banks,  and  situated  at  the 
head  of  slack-water  river  below,  we  find  an  extreme  oscillation  of  53.71  feet,  and  at  all  points  where  the  river  is  of  contracted  width  and 
deep  slack-water  channel  the  oscillation  is  from  20  to  40  feet. 

On  the  section  of  river  below  and  adjacent  to  Greensport,  where  a  system  of  locks  and  dams  is  being  completed, 
the  most  favorable  sites  for  power  are  mentioned  as  being  Whistenant's  Mill  shoals,  where  there  is  a  fall  of  5£  feet 
available;  Ten-Island  shoals,  where  the  fall  is  12  feet  in  a  mile  and  a  quarter;  and  Broken  Arrow  shoals,  where  it 
is  designed  to  erect  a  dam  12  feet  high. 

The  upper  Coosa  is  bordered  by  a  considerable  amount  of  bottom-land,  beyond  which  rise  high  hills  well 
wooded  with  pine.  The  lower  valley  is  more  contracted,  and  shows  only  occasional  narrow  strips  of  bottom-land, 
subject  to  overflow  during  extremely  high  freshets;  in  this  section,  where  the  banks  are  not  of  the  character 
described  they  are  usually  high  and  rocky,  and  even  at  times  precipitous.  The  channel  shows  "a  succession  of 
confined  level  pools  of  deep  water,  connected  by  sloping  reaches  of  broad  and  shallow  reefs  and  shoals,  filled  with 
numerous  islands  and  rocks,  with  narrow  and  shoal  runs  of  water  between".  The  pools  are  very  deep,  sometimes 
from  40  to  60  feet,  and  the  river-bed  is  almost  entirely  of  bare  solid  rock,  with  scarcely  any  deposit  covering  it. 

Undoubtedly  the  finest  power  to  be  obtained  on  the  Coosa  river  is  at  Wetumpka^  within  10  miles  or  so  of  the 
mouth.  Ascending  from  the  city,  a  succession  of  shoals  and  pools,  ranging  usually  from  4,000  to  6,000  feet  each  in 
length,  is  encountered,  after  which  there  is  a  continuous  shoal  stretching  7  miles  up  stream.  The  river-banks  in 
the  section  below  are  high  and  rocky.  The  head  of  the  shoals  mentioned  is  at  a  distance  of  nearly  15  miles  by  river 
above  the  Wetumpka  bridge,  and  is  said  to  offer  a  favorable  site  for  a  dam.  By  bringing  a  canal  from  that  point 
down  the  east  bank  to  Wetumpka,  security  from  the  reach  of  high  water  would  be  obtained,  and  a  fall  made 
available  at  the  city  of  not  far  from  80  feet  in  the  most  favorable  stage  of  river.  During  freshets  this  fall  would 
be  liable  to  be  reduced  one-half,  and  even  more  in  extreme  cases.  The  expense  of  constructing  a  canal  of  proper 
capacity  12  or  15  miles  in  length,  even  if  the  cost  of  a  dam  could  be  avoided  by  taking  advantage  of  one  erected  by 
the  government  in  case  of  the  improvement  of  the  stream  for  navigation,  would  be  very  great — sufficiently  so, 
perhaps,  to  forbid  the  undertaking.  The  power  to  be  obtained,  however,  would  be  magnificent,  and  calculated  to 
build  up  an  important  manufacturing  city. 


Estimate  of  power  available  at  Wetumpka. 


Stage  of  river. 

RAINFALL  ON  BASIN,  (a) 

Drainage 

Flow  per 
second, 
average  for 
the  24 
hours,  (c) 

Theoretical  horse-power. 

Spring. 

Summer. 

Autumn. 

Winter. 

Year. 

area. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

Sq.  miles. 

Cubic  feet. 

1  footfall. 

40  feet  fall. 

60 feet  fall. 

SOfeetfall. 

(•      2, 130 

242.0 

9,680 

14,  520 

19,  360 

Low  water,  average  year  

|  m 

14 

10 

15J 

54 

b  10,  235 

J       2, 560 

290.8 

11, 630 

17, 450 

23,  260 

Available  10  months,  average  year  

(       3, 560 

404.4 

16, 180 

24, 260 

32, 350 

a  Roughly  estimated. 

6  At  a  point  15  miles  by  river  above  Wetumpka. 

c  In  case  of  the  improvement  of  the  stream  by  locks  and  dams  for  navigation,  Mr.  Yuille  estimates  the  demand  for  lockage  at.  an  average  of  56  oubic  feet  per 
second,  assuming  a  lock  210  X  40  X  8  feet  to  be  emptied  once  in  20  minutes  throughout  the  day;  and  estimates  the  total  loss  by  lockage  and  waste  at  124  cubic  feet 

per  second,  which  is  neglected  in  the  above  table. 


Notwithstanding  the  large  amount  of  undeveloped  power  presented  by  the  Coosa,  the  limited  extent  to  which 
manufacturing  is  carried  on  in  this  section  seems  to  have  prevented  any  special  demand  for  it,  and  even  if 
manufacturing  enterprises  were  more  common  many  would  doubtless  avail  themselves  of  the  opportunities  for 
obtaining  coal  cheaply  and  would  use  steam-power.  For  establishments  to  be  located  directly  upon  the  main  river 
railroad  facilities  are  poor.  About  midway  between  Greensport  and  Wetumpka  is  the  crossing  of  the  Selma,  Eome, 
and  Dalton  line;  but,  except  in  that  vicinity,  the  course  of  the  river  between  the  two  points  mentioned  is  distant 
from  5  to  15  miles  from  the  nearest  railroad. 

a  Senate  Ex.  Doc.  No.  42,  Fortij-sixih  Congress,  third  session. 

850 


THE  EASTERN  GULF  SLOPE. 

Estimate  of  power  at  the  principal  shoals  on  the  Coosa  river  (in  order  beloiv  Greensport[a]). 


13 


Name  of  shoal. 


Whistenant's  Mill  shoals  . 

Ten- Island  shoals  

Broken  Arrow  shoals  


Chocholoco  shoals 


Claunche's  shoals. 


Drake's  Mill  shoals  

Turner's  Mill  shoals  

Shoals  down  stream  from  head  of 
Wedaska  shoals. 


Drainage 

area 
(approxi- 
mate). 


Sq.  miles. 
6,870 


7,  320 


Length 
of  shoal. 


Miles. 


Tuck-a-league  shoals 


Dnncan's  ripple 
Fish-Trap  reef. . 


Hell's  Gap  reef  

Reef  below  Huffman's  ferry  

Welonee  Creek  reef  

Beef  IJ  mile  below  Grey's  ferry 
Staircase  falls  


Staircase  falls  (lower)  

Reef  above  Closet  reef  

Closet  reef  

Sofkahatchee  reef  

Grey's  Island  shoals  

Rose's  reef  

Corn  Creek  reef  

Wetnmpka  rapids  

Total  for  above  shoals,  with  falls  as 
assumed. 

Total  powerassumedtobeavailable  ! 
at  Wetnmpka  by  canal  from  first  ! 
reef  below  Grey's  ferry,  a  dis- 
tance of  nearly  15  miles. 


8, 020 
9,130 


9,420 
10,  050 


1. 40  ± 
1.  70  ± 

1.  30  ± 

0.  06 

0.  95± 
0.38 
7.30  + 

5.25 

0.  66 
0.57 


Fall 
on  shoal. 


10, 235 


0.49 


0.  57 


0.  26 
0.  95 
0.70 


Feet. 
5.50 

12.  00 

12.00  + 

5.00 

12.  00 

7.  00 
4.  00 

55.75 

39.  00 

8.38 
10.  00  ± 

10.00  + 
9.  00 
9.00± 

8.  00± 
8.06 

8.  00 
8.  00  ± 
8.  00  ± 
8.00+. 
8.00± 
4. 14 
7.  63 
12.60 
277.  00  + 

80.  00 


THEORETICAL  HORSE-POWER.  (!)) 


Low  water, 
dry  year. 

Low  water, 
average 
year. 

Available 
10  months, 
average 
year. 

Remarks. 

1,  020 

1,220 

1,710 

Immediately  below  Greensport ;  5$  feet  is  the  fall  said  to 
be  available  for  power. 

2, 370 

2, 850 

3,  950 

Eighteen  or  twenty  miles  below  Greensport;  12  feet  is 
the  fall  said  to  be  available  for  power. 

2,370 

2,  850 

3,  950 

Forty -eight  miles  above  the  Selma,  Rome,  and  Dalton  Rail- 
road crossing.    To  be  improved  for  navigation  by  a  dam 
with  lock  of  12  feet  lift. 

990 

1, 190 

• 

1,  DOU 

Thirty-eight  miles  from  the  Selma.  Rome,  and  Dalton  Rail- 
road crossing.    Shoals  occur  between  an  island  and  the 
mainland,  the  west  channel  being  1,200  and  the  east  150 
feet  wide. 

2, 520 

3,  010 

4,200 

One-half  mile  above  Claunche's  ferry.    Shoals  caused  by 
a  reef  of  rock. 

1, 470 

1,  760 

2, 450 

Reef  of  rock  crosses  river  midway  of  shoal. 

840 

1,  000 

1,  400 

River  800  feet  wide  at  head  of  shoals. 

12,  350 

14,  820 

20,  580 

"Weduska  shoals  begin  about  18  miles  below  the  Selma, 
Rome,  and  Dalton  Railroad  crossing.  Thence  down  stream 
the  river  is  described  as  "one  mass  of  shoals,  rapids, 
reefs,  filled  with  rocks,  islands,  and  willows  growing  in 
the  water,  and  varying  in  width  from  1,000  to  1.800  feot  . 

8, 990 

10,  760 

14,  980 

Head  of  shoals  about  32  miles  below  the  Selma,  Rome,  and 
Dalton  Railroad  crossing. 

2, 000 

2,400 

3,  330 

Channel  width,  from  700  to  1,200  feet. 

2,  400 

2, 870 

4,000 

Dam  proposed  with  lock  of  10  feet  lift;  river  about  1,600  feet 
wide,  and  runs  swiftly  over  rocky  reefs. 

2,400 

2, 880 

4,  010 

Dam  proposed  with  lock  of  10  feet  lift. 

2,170 

2,  600 

3,  620 

Dam  proposed  with  lock  of  9  feet  lift. 

2, 170 

2,  610 

3, 630 

Do. 

1,940 

2, 330 

3, 230 

Dam  proposed  with  lockof8  feet  lift. 

1,950 

2,340 

3, 260 

River  widens  to  3,600  feet,  is  very  shoal,  and  is  filled  with 

reefs  and  masses  of  rock. 

1,960 

2,  350 

3,  270 

1,960 

2,  350 

3,270 

Dam  proposed  with  lock  of  8  feet  lift. 

1, 960 

2, 350 

3,  270 

Do. 

1,960 

2,360 

3, 280 

Do. 

1,960 

2, 360 

3,280 

Do. 

1,  020 

1,  220 

1,  700 

1,880 

2,250 

3, 130 

3, 120 

3,740 

5, 180 

61,  600 

73,  870 

1      102, 710 

Tho  only  utilization  of  power  reported  is  made-by  a  single 
small  grist-mill. 

19,  360 

23,  260 

32, 350 

a  Data  concerning  shoals  are  taken  from  report  by  G.  B.  Yuille  (Senate  Ex.  Doc.  No.  42,  Forty-sixth  Oongress,  third  session),  and  from  report  of  James  C.  Long 
(Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers.  1872).  The  table  is  intended  to  show  approximately  the  power  corresponding  to  the  natural  fall,  in  the  main,  on  various  shoals;  the 
fall  practically  available  at  the  different  localities  would  doubtless  vary  much  from  the  figures  here  employed,  being  governed  by  the  height  of  dam  and  length  of 
canal.    The  real  value  of  the  shoals  for  manufacturing  use  is  to  be  determined  only  by  careful  examination. 

b  Based  upon  average  flow  for  the  24  hours.   "With  good  wheels,  from  B0  to  80  per  cent,  of  the  theoretical  power  can  be  realized. 

Note. — The  rainfall  on  the  basin  may  be  taken  roughly  at  14J  inches  in  spring,  14  in  summer,  10  in  autumn,  151  m  winter,  and  54  for  the  year. 

Tributaries  of  the  Goosa  river. — Below  the  point  of  its  formation  by  the  Etowah  and  Oostenaula  rivers 
the  Coosa  receives  many  minor  tributaries,  ranging'  in  size  of  drainage  area  from  about  500  square  miles  downward, 
and  to  which  the  same  general  remarks  wotild  apply  as  to  the  corresponding  tributaries  of  the  Tallapoosa,  which 
have  elsewhere  been  spoken  of.  Two  of  these  were  visited — the  Chattooga  river  and  Cedar  creek,  streams  of 
medium  size— and  a  description  of  them  may  serve  to  give  an  idea  as  to  the  capabilities  of  the  rest. 

The  Chattooga  river  rises  35  miles  northerly  from  Rome,  in  northwestern  Georgia.  From  its  source  in  Walker 
county  it  runs  southwesterly  across  Chattooga  county,  into  Alabama,  joining  the  Coosa  a  short  distance  beyond 
the  state  boundary,  in  Cherokee  couuty.  It  drains  the  valley  lying  between  Pigeon  mountain,  a  spur  of  the  Lookout 
Mountain  range,  on  the  west,  and  Taylor's  ridge  on  the  east,  and  includes  within  its  basin  375  square  miles. 

This  river  has  the  usual  characteristics  of  a  mountain  stream;  it  receives  its  supplies  from  a  rough,  hilly,  well- 

wooded  section,  flows  over  a  rocky  bed  and  between  banks  that  are  usually  high  and  rocky,  though  now  and  then 

there  occur  stretches  of  productive  bottom-land.    It  is  subject  to  high  freshets,  with  rapid  rise  and  fall.    Good  sites 

for  power  abound,  and  are  generally  improved  by  framed  dams,  and  occupied  by  small  saw-mills,  grist-mills,  and 

cotton-gins.    The  Tryon  factory,  distant  some  25  miles  by  carriage-road  from  Rome  and  15  miles  from  any  railroad, 

is  the  only  important  manufacturing  establishment  on  the  stream.    The  mill  is  a  fine  structure  of  brick,  and  is 

surrounded  by  a  small  village,  where  dwell  the  operatives,  numbering  250  or  more.    The  Tryon  Manufacturing 

Company  has  a  capital  stock  of  $225,000,  and  runs  9,000  spindles  and  258  looms  in  the  manufacture  of  sheetings, 

851 


14 


WATER-POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


shirtings,  and  drills,  using  14  or  15  bales  of  cotton  per  day.  At  this  locality  the  Chattooga  river  is  75  or  100  feet 
wide,  has  a  rapid  current,  and  its  waters  are  colored  a  greenish  hue  by  the  presence  of  lime.  The  site  was  a  favorable 
one  for  improvement;  where  the  dam  is  situated  one  bank  rises  abruptly  from  the  stream,  rocky  and  very  high, 
while  the  other,  composed  of  gravel  and  having  a  gentle  slope,  afforded  a  convenient  course  for  the  canal.  The 
present  dam  was  built  in  1 877,  at  a  cost  of  from  $1,200  to  $1,500,  and  replaced  one  which,  owing  to  faulty  construction, 
had  been  carried  out  in  high  water.  It  is  a  framed  structure,  about  250  feet  long  and  12  feet  high,  resting  on  a 
bed  of  solid  rock.  One  abutment  is  a  natural  ledge,  and  the  other  a  timber  crib-work  filled  with  stone  ballast. 
The  back-slope  is  longer  than  it  was  in  the  old  dam,  and  the  space  underneath  is  filled  in  with  loose  rock,  the 
omission  of  which,  and  a  too  abrupt  slope,  are  thought  to  have  been  responsible  for  the  failure  of  the  first 
structure.  The  dam  sets  back  the  river  for  about  2J  miles.  A  canal  perhaps  1,500  feet  long  and  30  feet  wide 
runs  to  the  factory,  and  on  the  way  supplies  power  to  a  small  saw  mill,  3  cotton-gins,  and  a  2-run  grist-mill.  At 
the  cotton  factory  the  fall  is  16  feet ;  three  Eisdon  turbines,  with  an  aggregate  of  300  rated  horse-power,  are 
employed,  and  about  250  horse-power  is  estimated  to  be  actually  in  use.  For  four  months  in  the  year  the  supply 
of  water  runs  short,  and  steam-power  has  then  to  be  resorted  to  in  part.  The  drainage  area  of  the  river  above 
the  Tryon  factory  is  160  square  miles. 

Cedar  creelc  empties  into  the  Coosa  from  the  south  a  few  miles  above  the  Chattooga  river,  and  drains  an  area  of 
225  square  miles  lying  in  Polk  and  Floyd  counties,  Georgia.  It  is  a  short  mountain  stream,  with  a  length  of  only 
22  miles,  and  at  Cedartown,  at  which  point  its  drainage  area  amounts  to  80  square  miles,  averages  about  70  feet  in 
width  and  4  feet  in  depth,  and  has  a  good  current.  Like  the  Chattooga,  it  is  very  rapid  in  rise  and  fall.  But  a  short 
time  before  it  was  visited,  in  the  spring  of  1881,  it  had  risen,  overflowed  its  banks,  damaged  the  hydraulic  canal 
at  Cedartown,  and  receded  within  its  channel  again,  all  in  the  space  of  twelve  hours.  During  the  same  season  the 
city  of  Eome  was  partially  inundated  by  high  water  from  the  Etowah  and  Oostenaula  rivers,  at  the  junction  of  which 
it  is  situated.  Northwestern  Georgia  is  an  elevated  region,  having  an  estimated  average  altitude  of  750  feet  above 
the  sea.  It  is  frequently  visited  by  very  heavy  rains  in  winter  and  spring,  and  most  of  the  streams  are  liable  at 
such  times  to  overflow  their  banks  extensively  in  those  portions  of  their  courses  where  they  are  not  kept  within 
bounds  by  high  banks  or  a  large  slope. 

Cedar  creek  falls  quite  rapidly,  is  tolerably  well  sustained  in  the  dry  season,  and  offers  good  unimproved 
sites  for  power.  It  is  also  considerably  used  by  small  mills,  but  the  only  manufacturing  of  importance  is  at 
Cedartown,  where  are  the  extensive  works  of  the  Cherokee  Iron  and  Railroad  Company.  This  company  was  started 
in  1872,  and  has  now  made  an  investment  of  over  $600,000  at  Cedartown  and  vicinity.  It  owns  a  very  large 
tract  of  land,  and  is  also  proprietor  of  a  3-foot  narrow-gauge  railroad  running  35  miles  to  Cartersville,  said  to 
be  very  profitable  from  the  outside  business  obtained,  as  well  as  a  great  convenience  to  the  company,  since  at 
Cartersville  it  is  brought  into  connection  with  the  Western  and  Atlantic  railroad.  The  narrow-gauge  road 
passes  close  by  one  of  the  company's  ore-beds  and  extends  5  miles  to  another.  The  Cherokee  company  manufactures 
pig-iron  for  market,  and  also  makes  the  rolling-stock  for  its  railroad.  Iu  its  furnaces  it  had  produced,  previously 
to  the  spring  of  1881,  22  tons  of  pig-iron  per  day,  under  a  pressure  of  from  If  to  2  pounds  per  square  inch,  and  the 
capacity  was  then  increased  to  35  tons,  under  a  pressure  of  from  4  to  4£  pounds. 

A  fall  of  4  feet,  obtained  by  a  dam  across  Cedar  creek,  is  utilized  for  power  at  the  company's  shops.  The  dam  is 
substantially  built. of  limestone  laid  in  hydraulic  cement.  It  is  about  70  feet  long,  10  feet  high,  and  5  feet  thick  both 
at  base  and  top ;  it  was  constructed  in  1873  at  a  cost  of  $5,300.  Water  is  conveyed  from  above  the  dam  in  a  canal 
500  or  600  feet  long,  and  supplies  two  water-wheels,  yielding  together  about  70  horse-power ;  this  is  used  in  a  3-run 
grist-mill,  blacksmith-shop,  wood-working  shop,  machine-shop,  and  foundery,  wire  cables  being  employed  to 
transmit  a  part  of  the  power  from  one  shop  to  another.  The  volume  of  water  is  always  sufficient  to  furnish  the 
power  required  in  these  works,  but  in  dry  weather  there  is  no  surplus. 

Minor  tributaries  of  the  Coosa  river  (in  order  below  Borne). 


Name  of  stream. 


Cedar  creek  , 

Spring  creek  

Chattooga  river  

Little  river  

Terrapin  creek  

Ball  Play  creek  

Big  Wills  creek  

Canoe  creek   

Tallassee  Hatchee  creek  (Calhoun  county) . . 

Cane  creek  

Broken  Arrow  creek  

Cheekeleeke  creek  at  Silver  run  

Cheekelecke  creek  helow  Chehawhaw  creek 
Cheekeleeke  creek  at  mouth  


Drainage 
area. 


Sq.  mile*. 
225 
115 
375 
310 
276 
73 
413 
281 
217 
114 
85 
225 
421 
486 


Name  of  stream. 


Kelley's  creek   ... 

Talladega  creek  

Tallassee  Hatchee  creek  (Talladega  county) . . 

Yellow  Leaf  creek  (Shelby  county)  

Hatchet  creek  at  Hanover  <  

Hatchet  creek  below  Pinthlocco  creek  

Hatchet  creek  at  mouth  

Pinthlocco  creek  (tributary  of  Hatchet  creek) 
Weogufka  creek  (tributary  of  Hatchet  creek) 

Waxahatchee  creek  

Chestnut  creek  

Wewoka  creek  

Elmore  (?)  creek  


Drainage 
area. 


Sq. 


miles. 
200 
193 
168 
170 
196 
381 
521 
84 
105 
238 
98 
92 
114 


852 


THE  EASTERN  GULF  SLOPE. 


15 


THE  ETOWAH  (a)  RIVER. 

Rising  upon  the  southern  slope  of  the  Blue  ridge,  in  northern  Lumpkin  county,  Georgia,  this  river  pursues  a 
westerly  course  to  the  Coosa  at  Rome,  passing  in  the  mean  time  over  portions  of  the  counties  of  Lumpkin.  Dawson, 
Forsyth,  Cherokee,  Bartow,  and  Floyd.  The  section  drained  comprises  1,940  square  miles,  and  above  Cartersville 
it  Is  but  thinly  settled ;  this  upper  portion,  however,  has  valuable  mineral  resources,  of  which  the  most  important  are 
iron,  manganese,  and  gold.  Baryta  and  kaolin  are  also  found,  as  well  as  traces  of  silver,  copper.,  and  plumbago, 
but  there  is  no  coal.  The  valleys  are  well  stocked  with  timber,  and  below  Cartersville  the  main  valley,  which  above 
is  quite  narrow  except  where  at  intervals  a  patch  of  a  few  hundred  acres  of  bottom-land  is  found  in  a  bend  of  the  I 
river,  widens  out  and  contains  fine  stretches  of  extremely  productive  land,  which  is  largely  cultivated  in  grain  and  ) 
cotton.  The  railroad  facilities  are  good  along  the  lower  river,  but  in  the  portion  farther  up,  which  is  best  suited  to 
use  for  power,  the  stream  is  directly  accessible  by  railroad  at  Canton  only,  to  which  point  there  extends  a  short  road 
from  Marietta,  to  the  southward.  There  is  no  navigation  on  the  river.  A  government  survey  was  made  in  the 
summer  of  1879  to  determine  upon  the  probable  expense  of  establishing  a  navigable  channel ;  but  it  was  found  that 
an  improvement  by  locks  and  dams — the  only  practicable  method — would  cost  $2,277,000  for  the  63  miles  from  Rome 
to  the  mouth  of  Little  river,  and  an  adverse  report  was  therefore  made,  it  being  considered  that  a  heavy  outlay  of 
money  was  not  at  all  warranted  by  the  business  likely  to  be  furnished,  (b)  Above  the  mouth  the  largest  towns  are 
Kingston  and  Cartersville,  in  Bartow  county,  having  respectively  about  500  and  2,000  inhabitants,  and  Canton,  in 
Cherokee  county,  with  a  population  of  400. 

In  its  lower  course  the  fall  of  the  river  averages  about  3.7  feet  per  mile,  amounting  to  232  feet  in  the  03  miles 
below  Little  river.  This  descent  is  not  uniform,  however,  being  distributed  among  reefs  and  rapids,  with  short 
intervening  pools.  From  Cartersville  up,  the  Etowah  is  quite  closely  hemmed  in  by  mountains,  which  rise 
rapidly  from  its  banks,  and  which,  being  thickly  covered  with  pines,  except  where  an  occasional  precipitous  crag 
shows  itself,  bare  of  vegetation,  give  rise  to  very  picturesque  scenery.  The  water  of  the  stream  was  once 
remarkably  clear,  but  cultivation  of  the  soil  and  washing  the  hill-sides  for  gold  have  given  it  a  generally  turbid 
appearance.  The  oscillations  are  very  rapid  and  heavy  after  rains,  owing  to  the  steep  drainage  slopes,  and  the  full 
height  of  a  freshet  is  often  reached  in  a  few  hours.  As  reported  in  the  government  survey,  the  highest  rises  have 
ranged  from  12  feet  in  the  upper  course  to  28  feet  at  Rome.  The  lower  bottom-lands  toward  the  mouth  are  liable 
to  overflow,  but  in  the  upper  and  more  rapid  portion  of  its  course  the  river  seldom  rises  at  all  above  its  immediate 
banks. 

In  a  list  of  gaugings  of  various  of  the  Georgia  streams,(c)  the  discharge  of  the  Etowah  at  the  mouth  of 
Allatoona  creek,  in  Bartow  county,  is  given  as  1,308  cubic  feet  per  second  in  minimum  low  water,  corresponding  to 
1.08  cubic  foot  per  second  for  each  of  the  1 ,213  square  miles  of  drainage  area  above  that  point.  This  discharge  certainly 
appears  too  large  for  the  stage  mentioned,  being  more  than  half  as  great  as  the  volume  assumed,  on  good 
authority,  for  average  low  water  at  the  mouth  of  the  Coosa,  although  the  drainage  area  there  is  nearly  nine  times 
as  great  as  at  the  locality  mentioned  on  the  Etowah  river.  Lieutenant  Marshall,  Corps  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  army, 
in  his  report  upon  the  survey  of  the  river  states  that  "  at  low  water  its  discharge  is  slight". 

In  Lumpkin  county  the  Dahlonega  Gold  Mining  Company  has  constructed  a  ditch  3  feet  deep,  3£  feet  wide  at 
the  bottom,  and  30  miles  in  length,  to  serve  the  purposes  of  hydraulic  mining.  Water  is  taken  from  several  small 
creeks  tributary  to  the  upper  Etowah,  and  will  supply  5  mines  with  25  miner's  inches  (d)  each. 

The  fall  of  the  river  is  rapid  in  its  upper  course,  and  those  familiar  with  the  valley  consider  that  it  there  presents 
numerous  good  sites  for  power,  favorable  for  development  and  accessible.  Between  the  point  where  the  public 
road  from  Dahlonega  to  Dawsonville  crosses,  and  Simmons'  mill-pond,  a  distance  of  some  12  miles  by  road,  there 
is  stated  to  be  a  fall  of  210  feet.  Of  this  amount  only  28  feet  is  utilized,  part  by  a  saw-mill,  grist-mill,  and  tannery 
combined,  and  part  by  a  10-stamp  mill  of  the  Dahlonega  mine ;  there  are  several  other  points,  however,  which  are 
available  for  use.  The  Franklin  mine,  in  Cherokee  county,  takes  power  from  the  Etowah  for  a  20-stamp  mill,  usiug, 
it  is  said,  a  fall  of  about  15  feet.  A  narrow-gauge  line  to  run  from  Gainesville,  on  the  Atlanta  and  Charlotte  Air 
Line  railroad,  to  Dahlonega  had  been  surveyed  and  partly  graded  in  the  spring  of  1881,  and  if  completed  will  be 
of  great  advantage  to  the  extreme  upper  part  of  the  river.  Efforts  were  about  to  be  made  also  for  the  establishment 
of  a  cotton  factory  in  this  section,  it  being  claimed  that  the  cheapness  of  water-power,  land,  fuel,  and  rents  would 
permit  of  more  profitable  manufacture,  even  with  the  expense  of  shipping  by  team  to  and  from  Gainesville,  than  at 
Atlanta.  Such  an  enterprise  would  be  of  much  value  in  giving  employment  to  the  families  of  the  men  engaged  at 
the  mines.  Farther  down  stream,  at  High  Tower,  in  Forsyth  county,  two  mills,  one  of  10  and  one  of  20  stamps,  were 
reported  to  have  been  projected-;  but,  except  at  the  points  mentioned  and  at  an  occasional  site  elsewhere  occupied 
by  a  small  saw  mill  or  grist-mill,  no  actual  use  was  found  to  be  made  of  the  power  of  the  river. 

a  Indian  pronunciation,  E-to-wah',  meaning  in  Cherokee  "beautiful  water". 

b  See  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  1880.  / 

c  See  The  State  of  Georgia,  by  Francis  Fontaine. 

d  A  miner's  inch  is  said  to  be  taken  as  the  discharge  through  a  1-inch  aperture  under  a  head  of  6  inches,  or  about  17,000  gallons  per 
24  hours. 

853 


16  WATEE-POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

The  descent  of  the  Etowah  for  a  considerable  distance  below  Little  river,  as  determined  by  government  survey, 
is  shown  in  the  following  table : 

Table  shoicing  the  fall  in  the  Etowah  river  for  41.4  miles  below  the  mouth  of  Little  river. 


-Locality- 

Distance 
below 
Little  river. 

Distance 
between 
points. 

Fall 
between 
points. 

Fall  per 

mile 
between 
points. 

Miles. 

Miles. 

Feet. 

Feet. 

0.  000 

1     9. 091 

19.0 

2. 09 

Boundary  between  Cherokee  and  Bartow  counties  . 

9.  091 

|      1. 136 

2.5 

2.20 

Head  of  Maddox  island  

10.  227 

|      1. 800 

18.5 

10. 28 

Foot  of  Pugb's  island  

12.  027 

|      1. 231 

22.0 

17.  87 

6,500  feet  below  Pugb's  island  

13. 258 

|      0. 624 

10.5 

16.  83 

Stamp  creek  

13.  882 

|      1. 270 

27.5 

21.65 

15. 152 

|  0.946 

11.0 

11.  63 

11,700  feet  below  Stamp  creek  

16.  098 

|      1. 781 

1.5 

0.84 

Western  and  Atlantic  Railroad  bridge  

17.  879 

I    23. 541 

a  67. 5 

2.87 

41.420 

a  Fall  quite  uniformly  distributed . 


It  will  be  noticed  that  from  the  boundary  between  Cherokee  and  Bartow  counties  down  to  the  Western  and 
Atlantic  Railroad  crossing  there  is  a  heavy  fall,  amounting  to  92  feet  in  7  miles  of  the  distance.  This  portion  of 
the  stream,  lying  but  a  few  miles  to  the  east  of  Cartersville,  offers  perhaps  the  most  valuable  power  to  be  found 
anywhere  on  the  course,  and  before  the  war  was  largely  utilized  by  extensive  manufacturing  works,  which  stretched 
for  half  a  mile  along  the  river,  and  which  represented  an  investment  of  $500,000  or  more.  There  were  three  blast- 
furnaces, a  rolling-mill,  a  foundery,  a  nail  factory,  and  a  flouring-mill  with  a  capacity  of  300  barrels  per  day.  The 
flouring-mill  and  rolling-mill  are  said  to  have  been  the  first  of  any  importance  established  south  of  Richmond. 
Previously  New  York  flour,  known  here  as  " Canal  flour",  had  monopolized  the  southern  markets,  and  in  this 
section  commanded  $20  per  barrel ;  but  with  this  the  new  product  competed,  with  the  greatest  success,  in  all  the 
southern  markets,  and  finally  in  New  York  city.  Immediately  preceding  the  war,  arrangements  had  been  completed 
between  Major  M.  E.  Cooper,  owner  of  the  property  on  the  Etowah,  and  still  residing  near  by,  and  Colonel  Samuel 
Colt,  of  Hartford,  Connecticut,  to  engage  jointly  in  the  manufacture  of  fire-arms  at  the  locality  here  described, 
but  the  breaking  out  of  hostilities  prevented  the  removal  of  any  part  of  Colonel  Colt's  wotks,  although  it  is  stated 
that  the  necessary  papers  had  been  signed,  and  that  a  month  more  of  time  would  have  seen  the  undertaking 
carried  out.  In  1864,  during  Sherman's  campaign,  the  buildings  here  were  all  burned,  and  only  the  ruins  of  what 
were  very  substantial  structures  now  remain. 

The  property  embraces  15,000  (?)  acres  of  land,  extending  more  than  5  miles  along  the  Etowah  river,  on  both  sides, 
and  probably  covering  a  fall  of  at  least  80  feet  on  that  stream,  though  the  exact  amount  could  not  be  ascertained. 
It  also  includes  Allatoona  and  Stamp  creeks,  tributaries  of  the  Etowah,  each  with  large  fall  and  abundant  power- 
Running  from  the  old  works  down  the  river-bank  to  the  line  of  the  Western  and  Atlantic  railroad  was  a  branch 
track,  the  graded  line  of  which  still  remains  in  good  condition,  and  which,  though  now  without  ties  or  rails,  might 
easily  be  put  in  condition  for  traffic.  The  property  is  owned  by  an  incorporated  company,  the  Etowah  Manufacturing 
&  Mining  Company,  with  offices  in  Savannah,  and  is  offered  for  sale,  in  one  piece  only,  at  a  nominal  price  of  $100,000. 


Estimate  of  power  at  the  Etowah  Mining  &  Manufacturing  Company's  privilege. 


Stage  of  river. 

RAINFALL  ON  BASIN. 

Drainage 
area. 

Flow 
per  second, 
average 
for  the  24 
hours. 

Theoretical  horse-power. 

Spring. 

Summer. 

Autumn. 

Winter. 

Year. 

Low  water,  dry  year  

Low  water,  average  year  

Available  10  months,  average  year  

Inches. 

}  * 

. 

Inches. 

13 

Inches. 
10 

Inches. 
15J 

Inches. 
53i 

Sq.  miles. 
1,  060 

Cubic  feet. 
f  370 
J  560 
[  750 

1  footfall. 
42.0 
63.  6- 
85.2 

10  feet  fall. 
420 
636 
852 

20  feet  fall. 
840 
1,  272 
1,704 

80  feet  fall. 
3, 360 
5,  088 
6,816 

The  large  fall  in  this  section  of  the  river  occurs  where  the  latter  has  cut  its  way  through  a  spur  of  the  Blue  ridge. 
The  stream  flows  with  rapid  current  and  almost  constant  ripples,  now  and  then  pitching  abruptly  over  a  low  ledge. 
The  bed  is  generally  rock  and  contains  numerous  large  bowlders,  and  here  and  there  a  small  island  appears.  The 
average  width  between  banks  is  probably  200  or  300  feet,  although  in  places  it  increases  to  500  or  GOO  feet.  As  the 
power  was  formerly  developed  there  were  two  dams  across  the  river,  built  of  logs,  each  structure  10  feet  high ;  they 
were  about  half  a  mile  apart,  the  upper  dam  at  the  rolling-mill  and  the  lower  at  the  flouring-mill.  The  entire  SO 
feet  or  more  of  fall  could  perhaps  best  be  improved  in  several  successive  privileges  of  say  20  feet  each.  The 
abundance  of  timber  and  stone  should  render  the  expense  for  dams  reasonable,  and  perfectly  secure  foundations 

854 


THE  EASTERN  GULF  SLOPE. 


17 


could  be  obtained  without  difficulty.  The  ground  rises  rather  abruptly  on  the  south  side  of  the  river ;  the  old 
works  were  on  the  north  side,  where  the  immediate  bank  is  succeeded  by  a  level  stretch,  elevated  from  8  to  20 
feet  above  the  water  and  extending  back  from  75  to  150  feet  before  reaching  the  abrupt  ascent  of  the  mountain. 
The  power  to  be  obtained  here  is  large,  and  the  site  well  deserves  attention. 

Ho  power  was  learned  of  as  in  use  below  Cartersville.  There  had  been  a  dam  and  a  small  grist-mill  a  short 
distance  down  from  the  Western  and  Atlantic  Eailroad  crossing,  but  they  were  in  the  main  carried  away  during 
the  exceptionally  high  freshet  in  the  spring  of  1881.  For  the  remainder  of  the  distance  to  its  mouth  the  river  has  a 
quite  uniform  and  moderate  slope,  with  an  average  width  of  perhaps  250  feet.  The  bed  is  rocky,  and  the  banks 
are  of  tolerably  good  height.  This  part  of  the  stream  is  more  under  the  influence  of  backwater  than  that  above, 
but  could  probably  be  utilized  for  falls  of  from  5  to  8  feet. 

The  tributaries  of  the  Etowah  are  small,  no  one  draining  more  than  240  square  miles.  A  list  of  the  principal 
ones  is  given  below.  The  districts  through  which  they  run  abound  in  large  springs  and  brooks  of  fine  "  freestone 
water",  and  are  well  adapted  to  the  cultivation  of  cotton,  corn,  wheat,  oats,  barley,  fruits,  and  vegetables.  Although 
the  streams  are  not  large,  many  of  them  have  sufficient  volume  and  fall  to  support  manufacturing  works  of  some 
importance,  at  least  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year.  Stamp  creek  has  one  or  two  small  furnaces,  and  there 
is  a  small  cotton  factory  on  Shoal  creek. 

Drainage  areas  of  the  Etowah  river  and  principal  tributaries. 


Name  of  stream. 


Etowah  river  at  Aurama,  Lumpkin  county  

Etowah  river  at  High  Tower,  Forsyth  county  

Etowah  river  at  Canton,  Cherokee  county  

Etowah  river  below  Shoal  creek  

Etowah  river  at  Etowah  Iron  Works  

Etowah  river  below  Allatoona  creek  

Etowah  river  near  Cartersville  (railroad  crossing) 

Etowah  river  at  mouth  

Armacolola  creek  


Drainage 

area. 


Sg.  miles. 
100 
356 
677 
769 
1,060 
1,213 
1,  226 
1,940 
116 


Name  of  stream. 


Mountain  creek  

Shoal  creek  

Little  river  

Allatoona  creek  

Pettis  creek  

Pumpkin  Vine  creek  

Kaccoon  creek    •.  

Euharlee  creek  

Two-Kun  creek  t 


Drainage 
area. 


Sg.  miles. 

77 

66 
239 
100 

56 
131 

60 
205 

47 


THE  OOSTENAULA  RIVER  AND  TRIBUTARIES. 

The  Oostenaula  rivern  which  unites  with  the  Etowah  at  Eome  to  form  the  Coosa,  is  in  turn  made  up,  near  Eesaca, 
in  Gordon  county,  Georgia,  by  the  junction  of  the  Coosawattee  and  the  Conasauga.  It  flows  thence  in  a  crooked 
southwesterly  course,  having  a  length  of  about  60  miles.  It  is  navigable,  but  is  very  little  navigated.  The  area 
drained  above  its  head  is  1,000,  and  above  the  junction  at  Eome  2,190  square  miles. 

The  Coosawattee  river  heads  in  Gilmer  county,  Georgia,  running  southwesterly  to  Eesaca.  For  45  miles  above 
its  mouth,  to  Carter's  Landing,  the  river  is  navigable  during  six  months  in  the  year,  and  some  work  has  been  done 
by  government  engineers  in  improving  the  channel,  but  the  actual  amount  of  traffic  carried  on  is  slight.  In  this 
45  miles  the  fall  is  moderate  and  the  stream  winds  about  among  exceedingly  rich  bottom-lands,  on  which  corn, 
wheat,  and  cotton  are  raised.  Just  above  Carter's  Landing  the  meadows  cease  and  the  river  issues  from  a  narrow 
valley  in  the  mountains.  Here  is  met  the  first  dam,  a  log  structure  400  feet,  more  or  less,  in  length  and  8  feet 
high.  A  fall  of  9  feet  is  obtained  and  power  used  for  a  2-ruu  grist-mill,  a  saw -mill,  a  tannery,  and  a  cotton-gin. 
There  is  a  large  surplus  power  here,  even  with  the  present  head,  and,  except  that  the  railroad  facilities  are  poor 
(the  nearest  railroad  station  is  Calhoun,  on  the  Western  and  Atlantic  railroad,  18  miles  distant  by  wagon-road),  the 
site  is  well  suited  to  more1  extensive  improvement.  On  one  side  the  mountain  rises  several  hundred  feet  almost 
vertically  from  the  water,  while  on  the  other  side,  on  which  the  mills  are  located,  there  is  a  gradual  ascent  at  first, 
favorable  to  carrying  a  canal,  if  desired.  The  hill's  recede  immediately  below  and  leave  abundant  room  for  mills 
of  any  size  and  a  village. 

Estimate  of  power  near  Carter's  Landing. 


Stage  of  river. 

RAINFALL  ON  BASIN. 

Drainage 
area. 

Flow 
per  second, 

average 
.  for  the  24 

hours. 

Theoretical  horse- 
power. 

Spring. 

Summer. 

Autumn. 

Winter. 

Year. 

Low  water,  dry  year  

Low  water,  average  year  

Available  10  months,  average  year. . . 

Inches. 

}  " 

Inches. 

13 

Inches. 
10 

Inches. 
15J 

Inches. 
53£ 

Sg.  miles. 

r 

550 1 

Cubic  feet. 
190 
290 
390 

1  footfall. 
21.  6 
32.9 
44.3 

$  feet  fall. 
190 
300 
400 

Mr.  Samuel  Carter,  of  Dalton,  is  the  proprietor  of  the  privilege  described,  and  also  owns  for  some  2  miles  along 
the  river  in  this  vicinity.  The  dam  sets  the  water  back  for  half  a  mile,  beyond  which  the  stream  becomes  rapid,  with 
hardly  a  stretch  of  smooth  water  more  than  a  few  hundred  feet  in  length.    A  railroad  survey  has  been  extended 

855 


18 


WATER-POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


some  little  way  above,  and  the  fall  thus  ascertained  is  said  to  range  from  10  feet  in  900  feet  to  10  feet  in  half  or  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile.  For  some  distance  above  Carter's  Landing  the  width  between  banks  is  stated  to  be  from  200  to 
300  feet,  and  the  fall  to  be  sufficient  to  furnish,  within  2  miles,  several  privileges  of  about  10  feet  each.  At  the  end 
of  2  miles  there  are  two  abrupt  falls,  one  of  18  and  the  other  of  20  feet ;  but  the  river  is  described  as  being  there  so 
closely  wedged  between  high  and  almost  vertical  cliffs  that  it  would  be  very  difficult  to  improve.  Above  this  point 
the  river  winds  its  way  among  the  mountains,  which  rise  steep,  wooded,  and  high  directly  from  its  banks.  The  bed 
is  mostly  freestone,  the  fall  rapid  and  constant,  but  there  are  no  mills,  certainly  up  to  the  junction  of  the  Ellijay  and 
Cartecay  which  are  the  principal  branches  of  the  Coosawattee.  The  wagon-road  which  leads  to  Carter's  mill  also 
extends  up  to  the  falls,  and  there  stops,  the  rocky  obstructions  being  impassable ;  and  for  any  mills  using  power 
for  some  distance  above,  a  new  road  would  have  to  be  constructed  up  over  the  bordering  mountains,  although  that 
is  not  impracticable. 

This  stream  holds  its  own  very  well  in 'the  dry  season,  but  rises  and  falls  rapidly  after  heavy  storms,  especially 
in  late  winter,  when  the  ground  has  become  thoroughly  soaked ;  the  height  of  a  freshet  is  usually  reached  within  12 
hours  from  the  beginning  of  the  rise,  and  the  fall  is  nearly  as  rapid.  At  Carter's  Landing  the  water  has  in  an 
extreme  case  reached  a  height  of  15  or  20  feet  above  a  low  stage,  but  this  was  largely  backwater  from  below,  and 
farther  up  stream  the  rise  was  much  less.    The  Coosawattee  drains  929  square  miles. 

The  Conasauga  river  has  its  source  in  Fannin  county,  Georgia,  a  little  below  the  Tennessee  boundary ;  it  takes 
a  short  turn  into  the  latter  state  and  then  flows  southerly  into  Georgia  again,  forming  the  division  between  Murray 
and  Whitfield  counties,  and  in  Gordon  county  uniting  with  the  Coosawattee.  It  drains  677  square  miles,  but 
appears  to  have  little  importance  for  power.  It  is  in  general  a  flat  stream,  with  rather  sluggish  flow,  running  wide 
and  shallow,  and  in  summer  almost  dry,  at  any  rate  scarcely  more  than  20  feet  wide  in  places.  Toward  the 
extreme  head-waters  it  has  more  fall,  and  may  be  of  slight  value.  It  is  used  by  only  a  few  scattering  saw-  and 
grist-mills.  Being  rather  a  long  stream  with  slight  fall,  it  runs  out  much  more  slowly  than  the  Coosawattee,  so 
that  after  the  latter  has  discharged  its  surplus  water  it  is  liable  to  be  kept  up  for  some  time  by  backwater  from 
the  Conasauga. 

Drainage  areas  of  the  Oostenaula  river  and  tributaries. 


Name  of  stream . 


Conasauga  river  below  Cooyehuttee  creek  

Conasanga  river  at  mouth  

Cooyehuttee  creek  (tributary  to  Conasauga)   

Rocky  creek  (tributary  to  Conasauga)  

Coosawattee  river  at  Ellijay  (below  junction)  

Coosawattee  river  at  Carter's  Landing  (below  Talking 
Rock  creek)  -.  

Coosawattee  river  at  mouth  


Drainage 
area. 


Sq.  miles. 
485 
677 
174 

88 
233 

550 
929 


Name  of  stream. 


MonntainJTown  creek  (tributary  to  Coosawattee) 
Talking  Rock  creek  (tributary  to  Coosawattee) . . . 
Tree  Bridge  (?)  creek  (tributary  to  Coosawattee)  . 

Oostenaula  river  at  Resaca  (below  junction)  

Oostenaula  river  at  Rome  (above  junction)  

Adairsville  (?)  creek  (tributary  to  Oostenaula)  

Armucha  creek  (tributary  to  Oostenaula)  


Drainage 
area. 


Sq.  miles. 
79 
165 
262 
1, 606 
2,190 
76 
233 


Table  of  utilized  power  on  tributaries  of  the  Alabama  river. 


Stream. 


Alabama  river  

Sundry  small  trib- 
utaries. 

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  


Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 


Tributary  to  what. 


Mobile  river ... 
Alabama  river. 


do 
do 
.do 
do 
.do 
do 


do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
.do 


State. 


Alabama 
...do  .... 


do  . 
.do  . 
.do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 
.do 
.do 
.do 
.do 

do 

do 
.do 
.do 


Countv. 


Kind  of  mill  or  manu- 
facture. 


Autauga . 


.do  . 

.do 

.do 
do 
do 
do 


856 


..  do  .... 
Baldwin  . 
Butler  . . . 
Chilton  . . 
Clarke . . . 
Elmore  . . 
...do  .... 
Lowndes. 
Marengo . 
Monroe . . 


Cotton . 


Cot  ton-gins  manufactured. 

Flouring  and  grist  

Sashes,  doors,  and  blinds. 

Cotton-gins  

Flouring  and  grist  

j  Flouring  and  grist,  and 


cotton  gins. 

Saw  

...do   

Flouring  and  grist . 

...do   

...do  '.. 

...do  

Saw  

Flouring  and  grist. 

...do   

...do   


Feet. 


174 

34+ 
173+ 
67 

37 
12 

7 

8 
32 


10+ 

20 

15 

31+ 


H 


H.  P. 


250 


46 
174 

53 

120 
160 


B.  P. 


Remarks. 


River  navigable. 


Frattville. 


THE  EASTER^  GULF  SLOPE. 

Table  of  utilized  power'  on  tributaries  of  the  Alabama  river — Continued. 


19 


Stream. 


Sundry  small  trib- 
utaries. 

Do  

Cahaba  river  and 
tributaries. 

Do  

Do  


Do  

Do  

Tallapoosa  river . 

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  


Do 


Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do...  

Tributaries  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do   

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Coosa  river  

Sundry  small  trib- 
utaries. 


Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do 


Tributary  to  what. 


Alabama  river . 


.do 

.do 

.do 
.do 

do 
.do 
.do 

do 
.do 

do. 
.do 

do 


State. 


Alabama 


do  

...do   

...do  

...do  

...do  

Tallapoosa  river . 

...do   

...do   

...do  

...do   

...do   

...do   

...do  

...do  

...do  

...do  

...do   

...do  

...do   

...do   

...do  

...do  

...do  

...do  

..do  

...do  

Alabama  river . . . 


.do 
.do 

.do  . 
do 

.do  . 

do  . 
.do  . 

do 

do  . 

do 

do  . 

.do 


...do  .... 

...do  .... 

Georgia. . 

...do  .... 
...  do  .... 

..  do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 

Alabama . 
...  do  .... 
...  do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 
....do  .... 
...  do  .... 

...do  .... 
...do  .... 
...  do  .... 
...  do  .... 
...do  .... 

...do  .... 


Coosa  river   do 


..do  . 

..do  . 

..do  . 

.  do  . 

..do  . 

..do  . 

.do 

..do  . 

.  do  . 

..do  . 

.do 

..do 

..do 

..do 

..do 

..do 

.do 

..do 

..do 

..do 

.  do 

.do 

..do  . 


..do  . 

.do 

..do  . 

..do  . 

..do  . 

.  do  . 

..do  . 

..do  . 

.  do  . 

.do 

..do 

.do 

..do 

..do 

..do 

.do 

.  do 

..do 

..do 

..do 

..do 

..do 

..do 


County. 


Monroe . 

Wilcox  . 
Perry . . . 


Bibb... 
Sbelby. 


...do  .... 
Jefferson. 
Elmore  . . 
..  do  .... 
.'.  .do  .... 
...do  .... 
...do  .... 


Kind  of  mill  or  manu- 
facture. 


Saw 


Flouring  and  grist . 
...do  


.do  . 
.do 


do 


...do   

Tallapoosa . 
Haralson  . . 

...do  

Paulding  . . 
Haralson  . . 

...do  

Carroll  

...do   

...do  ...... 

...do  ...... 

...do   

Macon  

Bullock.... 

Elmore  

...do  

Tallapoosa. 

Lee  - 

...do   

Chambers  . 

Clay  

...do  

Cleburne  . . 
Randolph . . 

...do   

....do  

Saint  Clair. 
Elmore  


Saw   

Flouring  and  grist  

Cotton  

Cotton  gin  

Carpenter-shop  

Flouring  and  grist  

Foundery  and  blacksmith 
shop. 

Pump  for  village  water- 
supply. 

Saw  

Flouring  and  grist  

....do   

Saw  

Flouring  and  grist  

....do   

Saw  

Cotton-gin  

Flouring  and  grist  

Saw  

Tannery  

Woolen  

Flouring  and  grist  

....do  

....do  

Cotton-gin  

Flouring  and  grist  

...do   

Furniture  works  

Flouring  and  grist  

....do   

Saw  

Flouring  and  grist  

....do   

Saw  

Wheel  wrighting  

Flouring  and  grist  

....do  


-  -  -do   Cotton-gins  . 

Coosa   Flouring  and  grist. 

— do   Saw  

Shelby  I  Flouring  and  grist. 


...do   

...do  

Talladega  

...do  

...do  

Clay  

...do   

Saint  Clair. . . 

...do  

Calhoun  

...do   

...  do  

Cleburne  

...do  

Etowah  

De  Ejilb  

...do  

Cherokee  

...do  


Saw  

Tannery  

Flouring  and  grist. 

Saw  

Blacksmith-shop . . . 
Flouring  and  grist. 

Saw  

...  do  

Flouring  and  grist. 

...do   

Saw  

Tanneries  

Flouring  and  grist. 

Saw  

Flouring  and  grist. 

....do   

Saw  

....do  

Tannery  


Number  of  mills. 

Total  fall  utilized. 

Total  water-power 
utilized. 

Feet. 

H.P. 

3 

27 

35 

4 

15+ 

65 

7 

51 

48 

• 

4 

374 

59 

7 

.  62 

144 

1 

10 

8 

3 

30 

39 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

'24-32 

900  ± 

1 

1 

1 

9 

10 

3 

16 

67 

• 

1 

7 

12 

1 

10 

10 

7 

711 

92 

1 

6 

5 

1 

6 

10 

142+ 

151 

3 

32 

36 

1 

24 

6 

2 

20 

/  9 

3 

36+ 

33 

1 

27 

8 

5 

72 

112 

1 

30 

8 

144 

118 

3 

67J 

74 

1 

8 

6 

8 

103 

98 

14 

128+ 

168 

3 

32 

38 

9 

74 

91 

13 

171 

291 

3 

42 

65 

1 

7 

15 

1 

3J 

15 

4 

32+ 

104 

2 

18 

15 

253 

282 

3 

61 

51 

9 

101 

185 

2 

30 

41 

1 

11 

39 

10 

564 

264 

4 

23 

57 

1 

6 

6 

7 

65 

89 

2 

17 

33 

4 

41 

115 

4 

46 

68 

12 

1164 

261 

2 

18 

25 

2 

11 

18 

4 

36 

67 

1 

8 

5 

8 

924  + 

180 

5 

45J 

44 

1 

44 

8 

2 

14 

28 

1 

8 

5 

II 

r 

0 


H.P. 


25 


35 


Remarks. 


Three  of  these  are  on  the  Ca- 
haba  and  East  branch. 

East  Cahaba. 

Head-waters  of  main  river. 


Tallassee  falls ;  over  1,100  rated 
horse-power  of  wheels  in 
place. 


857 


20 


WATER-POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

Table  of  utilized  power  on  tributaries  of  the  Alabama  river — Continued. 


Stream. 


Sundry  small  trib- 
utaries. 

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Etowah  river  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Tributaries  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Oostenaula  river. . . 

Coosawattee  river 
and  tributaries. 

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  


Conasauga  river 
and  tributaries. 

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Other  tributaries  .. 

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  


Chattooga  river 
and  tributaries. 


Do. 
Do 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 


Tributary  to  what. 


Coosa  river . 


...do  

....do   

...do  

....do   

....do   

...do  

....do   

...do  

...do  

...do  '. 

...do  

...do  .'  

...do  

...do  

...do  

...do  

Etowah  river  

...do  

...do  

...do   

...do   

...do   

...do   

...do   

...do  

...do  

...do   

...do  :  

...do   

...do  

...do  

...do  

...do  

...do  

Coosa  river  

Oostenaula  river. 


State. 


Alabama 


...do 
...do  . 
..do 
...do 
...do  . 
...do  . 
...do  . 
...do  . 
...do  . 
...do  . 


Georgia. 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...  do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
..do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
..  do  ... 
...do  .... 
...do  ... 
...do  .... 
...do  .... 
...do  .... 
...do  ... 


...do  

— do  f  

...do   

...do  

...do   

..do  

...do  

...do   

..  do  

...do  

...do   

Coosa  river  . 


..do 
..do 
..do 
..do 
.do  . 
..do 


.do  . 
.do 

do 
.do 
.do  . 

do  . 
.do  . 

do  . 

do  . 
.do  . 

.do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 

do  . 

do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 

do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 

do  . 


...do  .... 
..do  .... 
...do  .... 
...do  .... 
Alabama. 
...do  .... 


County. 


Kind  of  mill  or  manu- 
facture. 


Cherokee . 


Floyd. 
...do  . 


Flouring  and  grist. 


...do 
Saw  . . 


.do   |  Woolen. 


...  do  .... 

Polk  

....do  .... 
....do  .... 
...do  .... 
....do  .... 
Dawson . . 
....do  .... 
...do  .... 
...do  .... 

...do   

...do  .... 

...do  

Polk  

Floyd  

Bartow  . . 
Paulding 

...do   

...do   

Cobb  

Cherokee 

...do   

...do   

Pickens  . . 

...do  

...do   

Milton  

...do   

...do   

Dawson. .. 
...do  


Bartow  . 

Gilmer. . 
Gordon  . 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
Pickens 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
.  do  ... 
Murray . 


Cotton-gins  

Blacksmith-shop  

Flouring  and  grist  

Machine-shopandfoundery 
Wood -working  shop  . . . 

Flouring  and  grist  

Carpenter-shop  

Flouring  and  grist  

Saw  

Tannery  

Stamp-mill  

Flouring  and  grist  

Saw  

Flouring  and  grist  

....do   

...do  

...do   

Saw  

Woolen  

Flouring  and  grist  

...do  

Cotton  

Saw  

...do  :  

Furniture  

Flouring  and  grist  

...do  

Wheel  wrighting  

Saw  

Flouring  and  grist  

Woolen  


Flouring  and  grist . 


.do 


Flouring  and  grist  

Cotton-gin   * 

Saw  

Tannery  

Cotton  

Flouring  and  grist  

Saw  

Woolen  

Flouring  and  grist  


..  do  

Whitfield  

...do  

...do   

Bartow  

...do   

Chattooga  

...do  

...do   

Floyd  

Gordon  

Chattooga  


...do  

...do   

...do  

...do   

Cherokee  . 
...do   


Saw  

....do  

Flouring  and  grist. 
Boots  and  shoes  . . . 
Flouring  and  grist . 

Woolen  

Cotton-gin  

Flouring  and  grist. 

Saw  

Flouring  and  grist 

...do   

Cotton   


Cotton-gins  

Flouring  and  grist. 

Saw  

Woolen  

Flouring  and  grist. 
Iron-works  


Feet. 

R.P. 

149 

196 

183 

204 

37 

43 

15J 

17 

23 

20 

125 


18 


83 
42 
30 
16 

156 

107 
24 
12 
26 

195 
25* 
78 
54 
15 

179 
28 
12 
68 
38 


It 


18 
141 
12 
18 
93 

28 
20 
161J 
7 
56 
17 
10 
74 
43 
24 
43 
16 

24  + 

92 

63 

13$ 

21J 


TO 


138 


58 


50 
27 
40 
47 

318 
79 
34 
4 
26 

187 
66 
64 
50 
20 

129 
16 
6 
74 
40 


74 

48 
160 


&6 

0 


H.  P. 


432 
116 

10 

20 
105 

30 

22 
151 
6 

52 

13 
7 
112 

50 
141 

24 
300 

40+ 
145 
102 
8 

60 


Remarks. 


Cedartown. 


River  navigable. 


858 


THE  EASTERN  GULF  SLOPE. 


21 


THE  APPALACHICOLA  RIVER  AND  TRIBUTARIES. 


Being  a  navigable  river,  the  Appalachicola  is  not  itself  to  be  considered  with  reference  to  water-power.  It  is 
formed  on  the  northern  boundary  between  western  Florida  and  Georgia  by  the  union  of  the  Chattahoochee  and 
Flint  rivers.  From  their  junction  it  runs  in  a  southerly  direction  to  the  Gulf,  having  a  length,  by  st»aight  course, 
of  about  70  miles. 

Drainage  areas. 

Square  miles. 

Chattahoochee  river   9, 100 

Flint  river   8,420 

Appalachicola  river  below  j unction  1  .*.   17, 520 

Appalachicola  river  at  mouth   19, 580 

THE  CHATTAHOOCHEE  EIVEE. 

The  sources  of  this  river  are  in  Habersham  and  White  counties,  in  northern  Georgia,  whence  it  takes  a  very 
direct  southwesterly  course  across  the  state ;  in  Heard  and  Troup  counties  it  turns  southerly,  and  continues  in  that 
direction  until  at  the  extreme  southwest  corner  of  the  state  it  unites  with  the  Flint  river.  From  West  Point  down 
it  forms  the  boundary  between  Georgia  on  the  one  side,  and  Alabama  and  a  portion  of  Florida  on  the  other. 
From  the  junction  of  the  Soquee  and  Sautee  rivers  to  its  mouth  the  Chattahoochee  has  a  length  by  general  course 
of  about  315  miles,  but  the  actual  distance  by  water  is  probably  twice  as  great.  Eising  and  flowing  as  far  as 
Columbus  upon  the  metainorphic  rocks,  the  stream  is  frequently  obstructed  by  shoals,  rapids,  and  low  falls,  creating 
valuable  opportunities  for  the  development  of  water-power.  At  Columbus  the  falls  come  to  an  end, 'and  below  that 
point  the  river  is  navigable  throughout  the  year  to  the  Gulf,  an  estimated  distance  by  water  of  about  400  miles, 
for  steamers  of  2h  or  3  feet  draught,  carrying  as  high  as  750  bales  of  cotton.  Immediately  at  the  head  of  navigation 
a  fall  of  25  feet  is  in  use  by  large  cottou-mills,  and  within  4£  miles  there  is  a  total  descent  of  about  120  feet,  mainly 
unimproved.  It  is  fortunate  for  manufacturing-purposes  that  the  fall  of  the  river  is  heaviest  well  down  in  its 
course,  where  the  volume  is  large  and  navigable  waters  are  near  at  hand.  Within  34  miles  above  Columbus, 
measuring  from  the  head  of  navigation,  there  is  a  fail  of  362  feet,  or  as  much  as  occurs  in  the  entire  170  miles 
succeeding,  reaching  nearly  to  the  head-waters. 

Table  showing  the  fall  in  the  Chattahoochee  river.(a) 


Locality. 


Thompson's  bridge,  near  Gainesville  

Western  and  Atlantic  Railroad  crossing  near  Atlanta  

Atlanta  and  West  Point  Railroad  crossing  at  West  Point. 

fl ' 

('olumbus,  head  of  navigation  

Mouth  of  Appalachicola  river  


Approx- 
imate dis- 
tance from 
Gulf. 

Elevation 
above 
tide.(b) 

Distance 
between 
points. 

Fall 
between 
points. 

Fall 
per  mile 
between 
points. 

Miles. 
C15 

542 

434 

400 

0 

Feet. 
989 

762 

000 

238 

0 

Miles. 

\  73 
]  108 

]  - 
j  400 

Feet. 

227 
162 
3C2 
.238 

Feet. 

3. 11 
1.  50 
10. 65 
0.59J 

a  Data  taken  from  report  of  survey  made  under  direction  of  Major  W.  R.  King,  Corps  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  army. 
6  Elevations  are  for  low-water  surface  of  river. 

Almost  the  entire  course  of  the  river  in  that  portion  having  value  for  power  is  upon  a  bed  of  solid  rock,  with 
scarcely  any  sand  or  gravel  bars.  For  30  miles  above  Thompson's  bridge,  in  Hall  county,  there  are  said  to  be  few 
shoals,  but  farther  up  they  appear  more  frequently  and  there  is  a  rapid  current.  At  Seven-Island  ford,  near 
Beltou,  the  stream  is  wide,  and  there  is  a  long  shoal  where  it  was  proposed  to  take  out  water  for  a  canal  to  secure 
navigation  by  a  cross  route  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Atlantic.  A  few  miles  from  Mount  Airy,  in  Habersham 
county,  there  is  stated  to  be  a  fall  of  some  75  feet  in  3  miles,  about  20  feet  occurring  in  rapid  pitches  in  a  short 
distance.  The  place  is  described,  however,  as  being  not  especially  favorable  for  improvement,  since  the  river  flows 
between  high  and  steep  rocky  bluffs;  but  it  is  said  that  by  running  a  canal  or  a  flume,  at  considerable  expense,  below 
the  narrows  an  open  and  very  favorable  site  for  buildings  might  be  found. 

The  entire  river  between  Thompson's  bridge  and  Columbus,  a  distance  of  215  miles,  was  surveyed  in  1879  by 
government  engineers  under  the  direction  of  Major  W.  E.  King,  and  the  results  of  their  examinations  are  to  be 
found  in  the  Report  of  the  Chief  of  Engineers  for  1880.  The  only  practicable  method  of  extendin  g  navigation  over  this 
stretch  was  found  to  be  by  a  system  of  locks  and  dams,  the  estimated  expense  of  which— $4,870,000  for  construction 
alone— is  so  great  that  there  is  little  probability  of  the  work  being  undertaken.  Over  the  portion  of  the  river 
surveyed  the  width  in  the  narrower  places  gradually  increases  from  200  to  600  or  700  feet,  while  on  the  shoals  the 
width  runs  as  high  as  600  feet  between  Thompson's  bridge  and  the  Western  and  Atlantic  Eailroad  crossing,  l,20O 

859 


22, 


WATER-POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


or  1,300  feet  thence  to  West  Point,  and  even  reaches  half  a  mile  in  places  between  West  Point  and  Columbus.  A 
considerable  portion  of  these  extreme  widths  is  usually  taken  up  by  islands,  which  are  common  at  the  shoals  and  are 
an  especially  valuable  feature  of  the  river  with  reference  to  its  water-power.  The  width  and  volume,  anywhere 
except  in  the  extreme  upper  waters,  are  generally  so  great  as  to  render  the  control  of  the  entire  stream  too  costly 
except  for  enterprises  of  magnitude ;  but  by  taking  advantage  of  chutes  or  narrow  channels  occurring  between 
the  islands  and  the  main  shores,  or  between  the  islands  themselves,  powers  of  much  variety,  both  as  regards  fall 
and  volumeof  water,  may  be  secured  at  reasonable  outlay,  and  sometimes  at  a  ridiculously  small  expense.  In  the 
vicinity  of  Columbus  and  West  Point  three  powers  have  been  obtained  in  the  manner  indicated,  each  serving  to 
run  a  cotton  factory  of  4,000  or  5,000  spindles,  and  farther  up  stream  there  are  said  to  be  grist-mills  supplied  in  the 
same  manner. 

As  stated  in  the  report  of  the  engineers'  survey,  the  Chattahoochee  above  Columbus  has  usually  a  gentle  current 
except  where  interrupted  by  shoals  and* falls;  these  are  frequent,  however,  especially  in  the  section  below  West 
Point.  The  banks  are  quite  uniform  and  of  good  height,  here  and  there  varied  by  fertile  bottoms,  and  occasionally 
rising  to  precipitous  rocky  heights,  as  between  Roswell  and  the  Western  and  Atlantic  Eailroad  crossing.  The 
oscillations  between  low  and  high  water  are  sudden  and  heavy,  though  varying,  of  course,  according  to  the  section 
of  river  and  the  local  slope.  Assistant  Engineer  D.  L.  Sublett,  of  the  government  surveying  party,  mentions  that 
early  in  January,  1879,  there  was  a  rise  of  14  feet  in  12  hours  at  Thompson's  bridge.  The  extreme  oscillation  at 
that  point  is  given  as  24  feet;  at  Garner's  bridge,  17  feet;  at  Eoswell  bridge,  11  feet;  at  the  Atlanta  and  West 
Point  Eailroad  crossing,  25.6  feet;  and  at  Columbus,  below  the  falls,  42  feet. 

Very  little,  comparatively,  of  the  great  power  offered  by  the  Chattahoochee  has  yet  been  put  to  employment. 
At  Columbus  are  the  famous  Eagle  &  Phoenix  mills,  and  moderate  powers  are  also  in  use  in  that  city  and  the  vicinity 
by  two  other  cotton-mills,  and  by  an  equal  number  near  West  Point,  carrying  a  few  thousand  spindles  each.  Farther 
up  stream  there  are  reported  to  be  occasional  grist-mills,  but  the  entire  aggregate  of  power  utilized  on  the  river 
is  insignificant  in  proportion  to  the  amount  available.  The  freedom  from  ice  and  drift  is  a  favorable  feature  of 
this  stream.  Its  supplies  are  largely  derived  from  springs,  which  give  it  a  tolerably  uniform  flow.  The  very  large 
fall  occurring  within  30  miles  or  so  of  the  head  of  navigation,  and  indeed  even  within  5  miles;  the  situation  in  the 
midst  of  a  cotton-growing  section;  the  possession  of  an  extremely  healthful  climate  by  the  adjoining  country,  and 
the  impetus  already  gained  by  the  establishment  of  successful  enterprises,  should  combine  to  render  that  portion 
of  the  river  of  great  future  importance  in  cotton-manufacturing.  It  is  to  be  borne  in  mind  also  that  the  state  of 
Georgia  exempts  from  taxation  for  10  years  all  new  mills  devoted  to  that  industry.  One  present  disadvantage  to 
the  development  of  power  is  the  lack  of  suitable  railroad  facilities  for  the  immediate  river.  The  latter  is  crossed 
by  lines  at  Columbus,  West  Point,  northwest  of  Newman,  and  a  few  miles  from  Atlanta,  but  is  nowhere  else  directly 
reached  by  railroad  above  the  head  of  navigation;  and  though  for  180  miles  above  West  Point  its  general  course  is 
followed  by  the  Atlanta  and  West  Point  and  the  Atlanta  and  Charlotte  Air  Line  railroads,  yet  they  are  usually  at 
distances  from  it  of  from  4  to  10  miles. 

The  only  places  of  special  importance  immediately  upon  the  river  are  Fort  Gaines  and  Eufaula,  on  the  lower 
course,  with  populations  of  900  and  3,800,  respectively;  Columbus  with  10,000,  and  West  Point  with  1,200.  The 
country  drained  is  rich,  and  is  fairly  well  settled  along  the  railroads.  It  bears  a  large  amount  of  timber,  including 
the  long  leafed  .pine,  white  oak,  hickory,  chestnut,  poplar,  and  in  southwestern  Georgia  cedar  and  cypress  also. 
The  bottom-lands  along  the  river  yield  valuable  crops  of  corn  and  cotton.  In  the  upper  basin,  particularly  in  the 
section  drained  by  the  Sautee  and  Chestatee  branches,  in  the  Nacoochee  and  Yahoola  valleys,  hydraulic  gold- 
mining  is  extensively  and  profitably  conducted.  Copper  is  said  to  be  found  to  some  extent  in  Carroll  and  Fulton 
counties,  and  iron  in  Harris  county. 

Power  at  Columbus  and  vicinity. — The  shoals  and  rapids  which  characterize  all  the  upper  river,  and  which 
are  formed  by  the  hard  metamorphic  rocks  belonging  to  this  part  of  the  Appalachian  system,  reach  the  southern 
boundary  of  that  extensive  range  and  cease  at  Columbus.  A  few  hundred  feet  below  the  Eagle  &  Phoenix  dam 
the  last  outcrop  appears,  and  it  is  said  that  no  rock  is  to  be  seen  on  the  river  below.  The  material  over  which  the 
stream  takes  its  final  plunges  is  granite  and  gneiss,  claimed  to  be  much  harder  than  Quincy  granite,  and  rendering 
difficult  and  expensive  the  construction  of  hydraulic  works.  The  immediate  banks  in  this  vicinity  are  in  general 
high,  steep,  and  rocky,  rising  farther  back  to  hills,  beyond  which  stretches,  on  the  Georgia  side  at  least,  a  leyel 
tract  well  cultivated  in  corn  and  cotton. 

The  fall  which  is  usually  classed  as  lying  near  Columbus  begins  at  a  point  some  4  miles  above  the  city,  on 
property  owned  by  the  Columbus  Manufacturing  Company.  A  fall  of  48  feet  8  inches  is  covered  by  its  possessions, 
which  extend  for  a  mile  along  the  stream. (a)  The  only  improvement  of  this  fall  is  by  the  company  itself,  which 
manufactures  sheetings  and  shirtings,  utilizing  18  feet  and  about  150  horse-power.  At  the  site  of  its  factory  the 
river  spreads  out  to  a  width  of  from  a  quarter-  to  a  half-mile,  is  full  of  rapids,  and  is  dotted  by  numerous  rocky 
islands.  The  banks  are  generally  abrupt,  and  are  perhaps  from  75  to  150  feet  high.  Advantage  has  been  taken  of 
an  old  slough  of  the  river  on  the  east  side,  and,  by  throwing  a  few  logs  across  between  a  couple  of  islands,  sufficient 


a  The  ownership  of  property  on  the  Georgia  side  also  extends  by  law  to  high- water  mark  on  the  Alabama  side. 

860 


THE  EASTERN  GULF  SLOPE. 


23 


■water  has  been  diverted  to  the  mill,  below  which  the  continuation  of  the  channel  of  the  slough  serves  as  a  tail-race. 
The  Columbus  Manufacturing  Company  has  a  capital  stock  of  $250,000,  and  runs  4,100  spindles  and  134  looms.  It 
is  considered  that,  by  building  a  dam  across  the  river  farther  up  stream  within  the  company's  lines,  water  could 
conveniently  be  brought  down  the  Georgia  side  in  a  canal,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  fall,  if  not  the  entire  amount, 
rendered  available  for  manufacturing.  The  dam  need  not  be  more  than  4  feet  high,  and  would  rest  upon  a 
natural  ledge  which  crosses  the  river. 

The  next  below  is  known  as  the  "Cooke  privilege"  and  is  entirely  unimproved.  It  embraces  a  total  fall  of  about 
38  feet,  which  is  naturally  divided  into  two  falls  of  26  and  12  feet,  respectively.  The  upper  fall,  of  26  feet,  is  formed 
by  a  long  shoal.  At  its  foot  a  natural  dam,  perhaps  8  or  10  feet  high,  extends  out  from  the  Georgia  side,  opposite 
a  precipitous  point  called  Lover's  Leap,  nearly  to  the  Alabama  shore.  A  channel  is  left  on  that  side,  through  which 
the  whole  ordinary  flow  of  the  stream  rushes,  afterward  following  along  the  lower  face  of  the  obstructing  ledge, 
nearly  to  the  Georgia  side,  when  it  turns  south  again  and  passes  on  toward  Columbus.  If  the  Cooke  privilege  were 
to  be  improved  in  two  separate  falls  a  dam  would  probably  be  built  upon  the  upper  shoal  and  a  canal  run  down 
the  Georgia  bank.  To  take  advantage  of  the  lower  fall  the  channel  on  the  Alabama  side,  opposite  Lover's  Lea]), 
would  naturally  be  closed  or  cut  off  from  above,  and  water  carried  in  a  flume  from  the  Georgia  end  of  the  natural 
dam  a  short  distance  down  the  bank.  It  is  thought  that  a  fall  of  20  feet  could  thus  be  secured,  and  the  slough  in 
the  river  would  serve  as  a  tail-race.  It  is  considered  by  good  judges,  however,  that  the  best  plan  would  be  to 
develop  the  privilege  as  a  whole,  by  bringing  water  down  from  the  upper  shoal  far  enough  to  render  available  the 
entire  fall.  In  any  case  this  power  would  probably  prove  an  expensive  one  to  develop  thoroughly,  and,  on  account 
of  the  high,  steep,  and  rocky  banks,  is  not  favorably  situated  for  use.  It  has  been  suggested  that  power  might  be 
transferred  to  the  top  of  the  banks  from  below  by  cable;  but  although  this  plan  might  answer  for  powers  of  moderate 
size,  say  100  horse-power  or  less,  experience  elsewhere  seems  to  indicate  that  for  those  of  as  high  as  200  or  300  horse- 
power it  is  not  well  suited.  As  regards  transportation,  either  of  three  courses  is  open;  goods  may  be  transferred 
by  team  half  a  mile  to  and  from  the  North  and  South  Georgia  narrow-gauge  railroad,  or  a  spur-track  may  be 
carried  that  distance,  or  a  track  may  be  run  a  mile  or  two  down  the  river-bank  to  Columbus.  The  privilege  here 
described  is  for  sale,  and  is  worthy  of  careful  attention. 

The  third  privilege  in  order  is  occupied  by  Phillips'  grist-mill,  carrying  8  runs  of  stones  and  using  about  100  horse- 
power. The  dam  was  built  in  1871,  and  cost  about  $4,000.  It  is  a  framed  structure  resting  on  a  rock  foundation, 
and  is  probably  500  feet  or  more  in  length  by  an  average  of  8  feet  in  height.  The  fall  obtained  at  the  mill  commonly 
ranges  from  6  to  8  feet,  according  to  the  stage  of  water.  The  rapid  fall  in  the  river  above  prevents  much  of  a  rise 
in  that  section  during  freshets;  but  at  Phillips'  mill  we  come  within  the  influence  of  backwater  from  the  lower  river, 
though  trouble  from  this  source  is  not  of  long  duration. 

The  remaining  privilege  to  be  noticed,  and  the  one  which  brings  us  to  the  smooth  water  marking  the  head  of 
navigation,  is  owned  by  the  Eagle  &  Phoenix  Manufacturing  Company,  and  embraces  a  fall  of  about  25  feet. 
Cotton-manufacturing  was  begun  here  as  early  as  1850.  The  first  dam  was  carried  away,  but  the  present  one,  built 
in  1865,  has  stood  securely.  It  is  a  framed  structure  of  the  usual  pattern,  with  a  back-slope  of  perhaps  35  degrees. 
It  is  some  700  or  800  feet  in  length,  and  for  the  greater  part  of  that  distance  ranges  from  5  to  15  feet  in  height, 
according  to  the  contour  of  the  river-bed ;  but  in  one  place  the  height  above  foundation  is  probably  30  or  40  feet. 
It  rests  throughout  upon  rock  and  has  heavy  masonry  abutments.  It  originally  ran  quite  directly  across  the 
river,  but  the  washing  of  the  bank  on  the  Alabama  side  rendered  it  necessary  to  extend  the  dam  with  an  offset 
up  stream.  The  main  mill  of  the  Eagle  &  Phoenix  company  is  on  the  Georgia  side  just  below  the  dam.  Its 
other  mills,  and  the  mill  of  the  Muscogee  Manufacturing  Company,  which  leases  power,  are  located  at  intervals  along 
the  bank  above,  opposite  the  pool  formed  by  the  dam.  Between  the  mills  and  the  pool  runs  the  tail-race,  protected 
on  the  river  side  by  a  splendid  masonry  wall  perhaps  8  or  10  feet  wide  at  the  top.  Spanning  this  race  are  heavy 
timber  flumes  conveying  water  from  the  pool  to  the  mills.  As  has  been  stated,  the  extreme  hardness  of  the  rock 
at  this  point  rendered  work  expensive,  and  the  cost  of  the  dam  and  the  race-wall  alone  is  estimated  to  have  been 
$125,000. 

The  Muscogee  mill,  the  uppermost  along  the  race,  uses  a  fall  of  11  or  12  feet,  and  130  or  140  horse-power; 
4,500  spindles  are  run  in  the  manufacture  of  sheeting,  shirting,  duck,  and  cottonade.  The  remainder  of  the 
privilege  is  occupied  by  the  works  of  the  Eagle  &  Phoenix  company,  comprising  three  principal  mills  and  a  large 
dye-house.  This  concern  started  up  since  the  war,  and  in  the  spring  of  1881  had  a  capital  stock  of  $1,250,000,  a  surplus 
of  $550,000,  and  a  total  investment  of  $1,925,000.  There  were  at  that  time  in  employment  1,800  hands,  and  53  bales 
of  cotton,  of  450  pounds  each,  were  used  per  week.  The  machinery  in  the  mills  includes  44,000  cotton-spindles,  1,530 
looms,  and  7  sets  of  cards.  Colored  cotton  goods,  woolens,  and  cordage  are  manufactured,  the  production  of 
cordage  alone  amounting  to  3,000  pounds  per  day.  The  Eagle  &  Phoenix  works  use  a  total  of  about  1,700  horse- 
power for  the  principal  mills,  under  heads  of  16  and  25  feet.  For  electric  lighting  a  70  horse-power  wheel  is 
employed,  and  100  horse-power  is  available  for  fire-pumps.  Seven  80  horse-power  boilers  furnish  steam,  though 
not  for  power.  At  the  new  or  main  mill  there  is  a  head  of  26  feet,  and  power  is  taken  from  4  water-wheels — Swain 
turbines  of  400  horse-power  each.  These  wheels  are  in  pairs,  each  pair  geared  upon  a  single  shaft.  Two  wheels, 
one  of  each  pair,  give  sufficient  power  with  a  full  head,  but  the  others  are  for  additional  use  during  backwater. 


24 


WATER-POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


The  slope  of  the  river  is  very  small  below  this  point,  and  freshets  cause  a  heavy  rise,  commonly  forcing  a  stoppage 
of  work  at  the  mills  for  one  or  two  days  in  the  year.  In  the  spring  of  1881  there  was  a  rise  of  35  feet,  and  work 
was  suspended  for  15  days. 

It  may  be  seen  from  what  has  been  said  that  there  is  a  large  amount  of  undeveloped  power  in  the  vicinity  of 
Columbus.  Its  value  is  certainly  great  and  the  locality  has  important  natural  advantages.  Considering,  however, 
the  size  of  the  river  and  the  nature  of  its  banks,  the  extensive  improvement  of  the  fall  would  demand  a  heavy 
original  outlay,  and  would  probably  be  undertaken  only  by  companies  possessed  of  abundant  capital.  Hitherto 
the  lack  of  this  necessary  resource,  and  an  absence  of  special  interest  in  manufacturing  among  the  people  of  this 
section,  have  prevented,  except  in  the  notable  instance  of  the  Eagle  &  Phcenix  company,  the  formation  of  such 
enterprises  as  the  splendid  powers  to  be  obtained  would  warrant.  As  nearly  as  can  be  ascertained,  the  fall  in  that 
part  of  the  river  lying  near  Columbus  is  as  follows: 


Fall  in  the  Chattahoochee  river  within  about  four  miles  of  navigable  water  at  Columbus. 


Section  of  river. 

Fall. 

Remarks. 

Feet. 

Columbus  Manufacturing  Company's  property  

48.  67 

Only  18  feet  of  fall  and  a  small  part  of  the  flow  of  the 

river  utilized. 

From  Cooke's  upper  line  to  head  of  falls  at  Lover's  Leap. 

25.95 

|  Entirely  unimproved. 

Thence  to  Cooke's  lower  line  

11.63 

From  Cooke's  lower  line  to  surface  of  Phillips'  mill-pond. 

1.19 

From  Phillips'  mill-pond  to  city  line  

7.  86 

Small  power  used  by  grist-mill. 

.Eagle  &  Phcenix  Manufacturing  Company's  privilege  .  - . 

25.  00 

Utilized. 

Total  fall,  about   

120.  30 

With  no  continued  series  of  gaugings,  and  with  but  few  data  regarding  the  rainfall,  or  the  flow  in  neighboring 
rivers,  it  is  impossible  to  determine  with  much  accuracy  the  power  corresponding  to  this  fall,  but  it  may  be 
estimated  as  follows  :(a) 

Estimate  ofpoiver  in  the  vicinity  of  Columbus,  Georgia. 


Stage  of  river. 

RAINFALL  ON 

BASIN. 

Drainage 
area. 

Flow 
per  second, 

average 
for  the  24 

hours. 

THEORETICAL  HORSE-POWER,  (o) 

Spring. 

Summer. 

Autumn. 

Winter. 

Tear. 

1  foot  fall. 

8  feet  fall  (Phillips' 
grist-mill  privilege). 

38  feet  fall  (Cooke's 
privilege). 

49  feet  fall  (Columbus 
ManufacturingOom- 
pany's  privilege). 

95  feet  fall  (aggregate 
of  Phillips',  Cooke's, 
and  Columbus  com- 
pany's privileges). 

120  feet  fall  (aggregate 
within  say  5  miles 
of  navigable  water). 

Inches. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

Sq.  miles. 

Cubic  feet. 

Low  water,  dry  year  ,  

2,  500 

284.0 

2,  270 

10,  790 

IS,  920 

26,  9S0 

34,  080 

Low  water,  average  year  

|  121 

13 

9J 

14 

49 

4, 800 1 

3,  000 

340.8 

2,730 

12,  950 

16,  70C 

32,  380 

40,  900 

Available  10  months,  average  year. . 

I 

8,  500 

397.6 

3, 180 

15, 110 

19, 480 

37,  770 

47,  710 

a  With  good  wheels,  from  60  to  80  per  cent,  of  this  may  be  realized  in  ordinary  practice. 


Power  near  West  Point. — Above  the  upper  line  of  the  Columbus  Manufacturing  Company's  property  there  is 
an  "  eddy  ",  or  quiet  water,  for  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  and  shoals  then  succeed  for  3  or  4  miles.  The  river  is 
said  to  preserve  this  general  character  all  the  way  up  to  West  Point,  there  being  no  abrupt  falls  of  magnitude,  but 
frequent  rapids,  constituting  a  valuable  section  for  power.  In  this  distance  the  river  is  reported  to  be  usually  wide, 
probably  at  least  1,000  feet,  flowing  through  a  district  well  covered  with  pine  timber,  amid  hills  similar  to  those  at 
Columbus,  the  banks  how  high  and  steep  and  again  low  and  flat.  The  bed  is  generally  rocky.  What  is  known  as 
Jack  Todd's  shoal  begins  about  4  miles  below  West  Point,  and  extends  down  stream  7£  mil$s,  with  a  fall  in  that 
distance  of  51.31  feet.  In  his  report  upon  the  survey  of  this  portion  of  the  river,(&)  Mr.  B.  W.  Frobel,  assistant 
engineer,  states  that  "  the  river  varies  here  from  000  feet  to  half  a  mile  in  width,  the  channel  being  divided  by 
numerous  islands.    The  banks  are  high  and  formed  of  rock,  and  so  are  the  islands". 

Power  is  used  at  two  different  points  on  this  shoal,  both  on  the  Georgia  side.  At  the  lower,  distant  about  7 
miles  by  road  below  West  Point,  is  the  cotton  factory  of  the  Alabama  &  Georgia  Manufacturing  Company,  running 

a  It  should  be  stated,  however,  that  during  the  construction,  in  1882,  of  a  new  dam  to  supplant  the  old  structure  belonging  to  the 
Eagle  &.  Phcenix  Manufacturing  Company,  the  river  was  so  controlled  that  its  volume  could  approximately  be  determined;  and  from  a 
consideration  of  the  data  thus  obtained,  kindly  furnished  to  the  author  by  Mr.  John  Hill,  engineer  in  charge  of  the  work,  it  is  believed 
that  the  discharge  of  the  river  has  not  been  overestimated. 

6  See  Annual  Report  of  the  Chief  of  Engineers,  1880  (p.  1713). 


THE  EASTERN  GULF  SLOPE. 


25 


3,500  spindles  and  100  looms.  Some  little  distance  up  stream  a  dam  has  been  thrown  across  between  two  islands 
to  deflect  the  current  to  the  east  side;  another  dam  runs  from  the  mill  to  an  island  adjacent  and  secures  sufficient 
water  for  use,  though  there  is  not  commonly  much  surplus.  Both  these  dams  are  crib-work  structures  partially 
filled  with  stone.  The  lower  is  several  hundred  feet  long,  and  has  an  extreme  height  above  foundation  of  15  or  16 
feet,  averaging  perhaps  11  feet;  it  was  built  in  1867.  About  130  horse-power  is  in  use  under  a  head  of  9  feet. 
Slight  trouble  is  experienced  from  backwater,  and  during  the  spring  of  1881  the  mill  was  stopped  six  days  from 
that  cause.  The  company  has  a  capital  stock  of,  in  round  numbers,  $260,000,  and  manufactures  8-  and  10-ounce 
duck,  using  9  bales  of  cotton  per  diem. 

Two  miles  farther  up  stream  is  the  next  power  in  use.  There,  as  at  the  privilege  just  described,  the  river 
•is  wide,  studded  with  islands,  bordered  by  high  hills,  and  runs  over  a  rocky  bed.  A  dam  has  been  thrown  out 
from  the  Georgia  side,  controlling  about  one-third  the  width  of  the  river.  It  was  built  in  1870-73,  and  is  quite 
long,  running  diagonally  up  stream,  first  to  one  island  and  then  to  another.  In  construction  it  is  a  dry-stone  wall, 
10  or  15  feet  wide  at  the  base,  6  feet  wide  at  the  top,  and  averaging  about  5£  feet  in  height.  Seven  feet  of  fall  and 
50  horse-power  are  first  used  at  Lanier's  grist-mill.  A  separate  short  canal  conveys  water  to  the  cotton  factory  of. 
the  West  Point  Manufacturing  Company,  where  a  fall  of  8  feet  and  160  horse-power  are  obtained.  This  company 
runs  5,000  spindles  and  100  looms  in  the  manufacture  of  cotton  duck.  At  the  time  it  was  visited  the  mill  was  not 
running,  but  was  being  stocked  with  new  machinery  and  was  expected  soon  to  be  in  operation  again.  Both  the 
mills  near  West  Point  ship  goods  and  material  to  and  from  that  town,  and  are  sometimes  seriously  inconvenienced 
by  impassable  roads.  ^ 

Above  this  locality  we  come  upon  a  section  of  the  river  where  the  fall  is  much  less  rapid  than  below.  As  far* 
as  Franklin  it  is  described  as  having  a  good  current,  with  occasional  shoals,  banks  usually  of  but  moderate  height, 
and  frequently  low.  The  only  use  of  power  is  by  two  or  three  small  grist-mills,  but  it  is  said  there  are  available 
unoccupied  sites  where  falls  of  7  or  8  feet  may  conveniently  be  obtained.  The  remainder  of  the  river  above  has 
already  been  described  in  a  general  way,  and  there  will  only  be  added  a  list  of  the  principal  shoals,  with  their  length 
and  fall  as  determined  by  the.  government  survey,  and  an  estimate  of  the  available  power. 

Estimate  of  power  at  the  principal  shoals  in  the  Chattahoochee  river  below  Thompson's  bridge,  Mall  county  (in  order 

passing  down  stream).(a) 


Name  or  location  of  shoal. 


Shallow  ford . 


Johnson's  shoal  

Ovcrby's  shoal  

Brown's  Mill  shoal. 


Windin  g  shoals  and  Garner's  Bridge 
shoals. 

Island  shoal  


Rnswell  shoal  

From  foot  of  Boswell  upper  shoal  to 
foot  of  Bull's  sluice. 

Devil's  race-course  


Dimpaey's  ferry  . 

Pace's  ferry  

Mederis  shoal  


Approxi- 
mate 
.drainage 


Sq.  miles. 
590 


600 
960 
1,  060 
1,280 
1,  300 


MeTntosh'a  shoals  . . . 
Holliugsworth's  mill. 
Bush-head  shoal  


Jackson's  mill,  upper  shoal . 
nngulev's  shoal  


2,  230 


2,620 


2,  930 


Length  of 
shoal. 


Miles. 
1.04 

0.68 

0.06 

1. 61 

2.24 

0.95 

1. 97 
2.00 

2.00-1 

0.98 

0.  81 

1.  40 

0.72 
0.14 
0.40 

1.01 

0.09 


Fall  on 
shoal. 


Feet. 
6.  71 

3. 17 

6.92 

(?)16.  92 

16.90 

9.00 

13.28 
40.00 

19.95 

10.00 
6.50 
8.42 

7.24 
3.  51 
5.17 

8.85 


THEORETICAL  HOESE-POWEB.  (6) 


Low  water, 
dry  year. 


160 

70 
170 
690 
770 
490 

770 

2, 320 

1, 270 

660 
430 
930 

930 
450 


Low  water, 
average 
year. 


280 

130 

300 

1, 150 

1,290 

820 

1,240 
3,  730 

2, 020 

1,050 
690 
1,330 

1,340 
660 


Available 
10  months, 
average 
year. 


6  miles  or  so  above  Franklin, 
feet  wide. 

Daniul  sMillsho.il   1.01  8.85  1,190   j        1,710  2,130     River  1,000  feet  wide  at  head  of  shoal,  and  300  feet 

wide  just  below  it. 

4. 73  690  900  1,  200     River  830  feet  wide.    Fall  measured  from  above  dam. 

8.00+        1,520  2,000  2,440     River  varies  from  600  to  1,300  feet  in  width,  and  is 

divided  by  several  small  islands. 

a  Owing  to  the  lack  of  time  and  to  the  difficulty  of  reaching  the  stream  directly  by  rail,  the  various  falls  not  already  described  could  not  be  examined  in  detail. 
The,  estimates  of  power  here  presented  in  connection  with  the  different  shoals  pertain  to  the  natural  fall  only  ;  in  case  of  the  actual  development  of  power  the  fall 
practically  available  would  doubtless  vary  materially  in  individual  cases  from  the  figures  here  assumed,  being  dependent  upon  the  location  and  height  of  dam  and 
the  length  of  canal  employed. 

b  Based  upon  average  flow  for  the  24  hours.    With  wheels  of  gocd  pattern,  fiom  CO  to  80  per  cent,  of  the  theoretical  power  can  be  realized  in  practice. 

803 


370 

170 

390 

1,  500 

1,  650 

1,  060 

1,  580 
4,  770 

2,580 

1,340 
.  880 
1,  660 

1,  680 
820 

1,230 

2,130 

1,200 

2,  440 


Remarks. 


3  miles  below  Thompson's  bridge.  River  300  feet  wide, 
and  divided  at  the  upper  end  of  the  shoal  by  an  island 
1,600  feet  long. 

Three-quarters  of  a  mile  below  Shallow  ford.  River 
200  feet  wide  ;  minimum  depth  in  channel,  3  feet. 

Immediately  above  mouth  of  Chestatee  river.  Main 
river  350  feet  wide. 

1  or  2  miles  below  Chestatee  river.  Stream  widens  to 
600  feet. 


12  miles  below  Jones'  ferry.  River  from  400  to  800  feet 
wide,  and  channel  divided  by  two  islands. 

Average  width  of  river  about  600  feet. 

River  varies  greatly  in  width,  and  channel  is  divided 
by  many  small  islands.    Fall  given  as  nearly  40  feet. 

The  "race-course"  is  2  miles  below  Cochran's  shoal, 
and  the  fall  given  is  measured  from  the  head  of  the 
latter.   At  the  race-course  the  river  is  450  feet  wide. 

River  300  feet  wide. 

River  300  feet  wide  and  tilled  with  sunken  reefs. 

32  miles  or  more  below  Western  and  Atlantic  Railroad 
crossing.  River  from  500  to  600  feet  wide.  Shoal 
consists  of  narrow  reefs  separated  by  deep  pools. 

River  suddenly  widens  from  200  to  1,200  feet. 

River  from  700  to  1,000 


26  WATER-POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

Estimate  of  power  at  the  principal  shoals  in  the  Chattahoochee  river  beloic  Thompson's  bridge,  etc. — Continued. 


Name  or  location  of  shoal. 


Pott's  shoal  

Jack  Todd's  shoals 


Three  miles  below  Houston's  ferry. 

Hargett's  island,  and  down  stream 
to  a  small  island  1,000  feet  below 
the  foot  of  liound  island. 


From  the  loot,  of  the  small  island 

to  a  j.oint  4,000  feet  below. 

Thence  down  stream  

Thenee  down  stream  

Tate's  shoals  


Approxi- 
mate 

drainage 
area. 


Sq.  milfS. 
3,580 
3,  820 


4,  300 


lulberry  Creek  shoals 


Shoals  lioui  a  point  4J  miles  up 
stream  down  to  navigable  water 
at  Columbus. 


Total  of  above  shoals 


4,460 
4,800 


Length  of 
shoal. 


Miles. 
0.69 
7.  50 


0. 19 
2.  00-3.  00 


0. 76 

0. 66 
0.  98 
1. 02 

2.  00 
4.  25 


THEORETICAL  HORSE-FOWEK. 


Fall  on 
shoal. 


Feet. 
5.  06 
51.  31 


4.00 
60.  00  ± 


15.  00 

16.00 
10.  00 
22.00 

30.  00 
120.  00 


Low  water, 
dry  year. 


528.  64  ± 


980 
10,  720 


1,000 
15, 200 


3,  820 

4,110 
2, 590 
5,700 

7,  800 
34,  080 


Low  water, 
average 
year. 


100, 190 


1,  290 
13,  700 


1,  230 
18,010 


4,690 

5,  040 
3,170 
7,  000 

9,710 
40,  900 


127,  050 


Available 
10  months, 
average 
year. 


1,580 
16,  010 


1,460 

22,  090 


5,  550 

5,960 
3, 750 
8, 300 

11,  350 
47,  710 


151,810 


Remarks. 


A  few  miles  above  "West  Point. 

.Extend  from  a  point  4  miles  below  West  Point  to  reef 
below  Houston's  ferry.  River  varies  from  600  feet 
to  half  a  mile  in  width,  and  channel  is  divided  by 
numerous  islands.  Banks  high  and  rocky.  Power 
used  at  two  points  by  cotton  factories. 


The  length  and  fall  as  stated  for  this  section  may  not 
be  exact,  but  are  given  as  they  appear  from  the  esti- 
mates of  locks  and  dams  necessary  to  secure  naviga- 
tion. The  &hoals  are  15  miles  or  more  above  Co- 
lumbus. 

River  contracts  in  width  from  1,300  to  600  feet. 


River  1,100  feet  wide. 

From  11  to  12  miles  above  Columbus.  River  from  600 
to  700  feet  wide. 

1  mile  below  Tate's  shoals.   River  1,000  feet  wide. 

18  feet  fall  and  moderate  power  obtained  by  wing-dam- 
on  upper  part  of  shoals  ;  7  feet  fall  and  small  power 
used  by  grist-mill  at  Columbus ;  25  feet  fall  and 
entire  river  controlled  by  dam  of  Eagle  &  Phoenix 
mills  at  Columbus.  Fall  is  otherwise  unimproved. 
River  is  wide  and  contains  numerous  islands. 

Total  effective  horse-power  returned  as  in  use  on  thei 
entire  main  river  in  1880,  about  2,540. 


Note  — The  rainfall  on  the  river  basin  may  be  taken  as  approximately  12J  inches  in  spring,  13  in  summer,  9*  in  autumn,  14  in  winter,  and  49  for  the  year. 


TRIBUTARIES  OF  THE  CHATTAHOOCHEE  RIYER. 

Although  the  drainage  basin  of  the  Chattahoochee  has  a  length  of  over  300  miles,  it  is  in  comparison 
extremely  narrow;  at  West  Point  it  reaches  a  width  of  35  miles,  and  at  Columbus  about  55,  but  elsewhere  seldom 
exceeds  20  or  25  miles.  From  the  upper  waters  down  to  Coweta  county  the  southern  watfer-shed  is  sharply  defined, 
and  is  frequently  but  a  few  miles  from  the  river.  It  passes  through  the  city  of  Atlanta,  the  drainage  of  which  is 
divided  between  the  Chattahoochee  river,  running  to  the  Gulf,  and  the  Ocmulgee  river,  to  the  Atlantic.  The 
elevated,  hilly,  and  rocky  character  of  the  country  above  Columbus  gives  rise  to  numerous  tributary  streams  which 
have  considerable  fall  and  furnish  good  opportunities  for  the  use  of  power.  The  lower  river,  from  Columbus  to  the 
mouth,  is  bordered  by  a  narrow  district,  comparatively  low  and  sandy,  to  the  east  of  which  is  a  region  of  marls  and 
limestones.  Where  the  small  streams  flow  down  from  the  latter  formation  to  the  first  there  are  nearly  always  to 
be  found  falls — sometimes  of  great  height — available  for  power.  No  information  was  gained  of  any  important 
manufacturing  in  this  section,  although  there  are  said  to  be  one  or  two  small  cotton-mills  in  operation.  Above 
Columbus  the  Chattahoochee  receives  thirteen  tributaries  draining  upward  of  100  square  miles  each,  and  seven 
below  Columbus.  Of  the  former,  the  Chestatee  drains  the  largest  area— 330  square  miles;  while  among  the  latter, 
and  indeed  among  all  the  affluents  of  the  main  river,  the  TJpatoi,  which  empties  from  the  east  a  few  miles  below 
Columbus,  ranks  first,  with  a  drainage  area  of  500  square  miles.  The  limited  time  at  command  forbade  direct 
examination  of  more  than  a  very  few  of  the  affluents  of  the  main  river,  but  a  description  of  some  of  those  that 
have  been  developed  by  manufacturing  enterprises  of  importance  may  be  of  value  in  conveying  an  idea  of  the 
probable  character  and  capabilities  of  the  rest. 

Nichajaclc  creelc  is  a  small  stream,  not  more  than  10  miles  long,  emptying  from  the  north  8  miles  to  the  west  of 
Atlanta,  and  draining  an  area  of  40  square  miles.  Its  upper  course  lies  in  a  rather  flat  country,  after  which  it  cuts 
through  the  hills  and  has  a  rapid  descent.  There  are  numerous  small  saw-  and  grist-mills  on  the  creek,  aud  power 
is  also  used  by  the  Concord  woolen-mill,  running  two  sets  of  machinery  on  jeans  and  cassiirffcres.  The  dam  is  of 
rubble,  without  cement,  and  was  built  some  15  years  ago  at  an  estimated  cost  of  $1,200.  It  is  about  80  feet  long,  20 
feet  high,  aud  21  feet  wide  at  the  base.  A  wooden  flume  conveys  water  100  feet  to  the  factory,  where  a  21-inch 
Burnham  wheel  is  run  under  a  fall  of  21  feet.   At  times  there  is  a  little  scarcity  of  water. 

Soap  creek  lies  near  Marietta,  to  the  northward  from  Atlanta,  and  is  a  short  mountain  stream  running  '<  wl 
with  rapid  fall  over  a  rocky  bed.  Toward  the  mouth  it  ranges  from  25  to  100  feet  in  width,  averaging  perhaps. 
50  feet.  The  banks  are  wooded,  steep,  and  rocky.  The  stream  itself  is  rapidly  swollen  by  heavy  rains,  and  quickly 
subsides  again.  Power  is  used  for  sundry  small  grist-  and  saw-mills  and  cotton-gins,  but  the  only  important 
manufacturing  is  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  mouth,  where  the  Marietta  Paper  Manufacturing  Company- 


THE  EASTERN  GULF  SLOPE. 


27 


has  a  mill.  This  company  has  a  capital  stock  of  $25,000,  and  manufactures  news,  book,  and  manila  wrapping  paper, 
turning  out  about  1,200  pounds  per  day.  It  does  not  make  use  of  wood-pulp,  and  it  is  said  that  very  little  is 
employed  in  this  section.  The  company  owns  land  on  both  sides  of  the  creek,  embracing  a  fall  of  G5  feet  in  a 
quarter  of  a  mile.  The  privilege  at  the  mill  is  improved  by  a  framed  dam  with  stone  abutments,  the  overflow  about 
100  feet  long  and  10  feet  high.  Water  is  carried  400  feet  in  a  woodei*  flume,  and  used  under  a  head  of  22  feet  on 
two  breast-wheels,  one  27  feet  high  and  18  feet  wide,  the  other  22  feet  by  5  feet.  About  75  horse-power  is  estimated 
to  be  used,  and  it  is  thought  that  for  six  or  eight  months  in  the  year  200  horse-power  could  be  realized.  During  a 
protracted  dry  season,  however,  the  creek  runs  very  low,  and  the  mill  is  sometimes  more  or  less  short  of  water  for  a 
period  of  three  months.  Much  of  this  trouble  occurs,  though,  at  night,  when  water  is  held  back  in  the  mill-ponds 
farther  up  stream. 

Neither  this  stream  nor  Willeo  creelc,  which  is  near  at  hand,  is  of  sufficient  size  to  be  indicated  by  name  upon 
ordinary  maps,  and  their  drainage  areas  could  not  therefore  be  determined.  Although  they  are  small,  it  is  evident 
that  the  aggregate  of  manufacturing  which  could  be  sustained  by  several  such  streams  would  reach  very  respectable 
dimensions.  Willeo  creek  is  of  less  importance  than  Soap  creek,  and  is  said  to  run  nearly  dry  in  summer.  The 
only  power  worthy  of  notice  is  used  at  the  Willeo  mill,  where  a  fall  of  some  30  feet  is  obtained,  and  about  1,200 
spindles  are  run  in  the  manufacture  of  yarns. 

Yickery's  creelc  enters  the  Chattahoochee  from  the  right,  18  miles  nearly  due  north  of  Atlanta.  It  drains  an 
area  of  94  square  miles,  including  portions  of  Milton  and  Forsyth  counties.  Its  course  is  entirely  through  a 
mountainous  district,  and  it  is  hemmed  in  much  of  the  way  by  high  rocky  banks,  wooded  and  steep.  The  stream^ 
is  a  very  rapid  one,  a  succession  of  leaps  and  slides  over  ledges.  As  might  be  expected,  sudden  and  violent  freshets 
occur  at  times.  In  March,  1881,  the  creek  was  swollen  by  heavy  rains  to  a  furious  torrent,  with  a  volume  estimated 
to  have  been  twice  as  large  as  had  ever  before  been  observed,  and  swept  away  most  of  the  dams  and  bridges  along 
its  course.  It  supplies  power  to  the  usual  small  saw-mills,  grist-mills,  and  cotton-gins,  besides  a  cotton  factory 
and  woolen  factory.  The  latter  are  compelled  to  ship  goods  and  material  some  15  miles  by  team  to  and  from 
Marietta,  but  a  narrow-gauge  spur  is  projected  to  run  from  Eoswell  southerly  to  the  Atlanta  and  Charlotte  Air 
Line  railroad. 

The  lowest  mill  on  the  stream  is  close  by  the  mouth,  and  belongs  to  the  Laurel  Mills  Manufacturing  Company, 
having  a  capital  stock  of  $34,000,  and  running  2  sets  of  cards  on  woolen  goods,  jeans,  tweeds,  and  linseys.  Water 
is  brought  several  hundred  feet  in  a  canal  and  wooden  flume  to  the  factory,  furnishing  power  on  the  way  to  a  small 
flouring-mill.  At  the  woolen  factory  a  60  horse-power  wheel  is  used,  with  a  fall  of  19  feet.  No  trouble  is  experienced 
from  either  low  or  back  w,ater.  This  privilege  was  formerly  improved  by  a  framed  dam,  but  iu  1871  this  was  in  a 
manner  replaced,  at  an  expense  of  $5,000,  by  one  of  dry  stone,  cemented,  however,  on  the  face.  The  stone  was 
laid  in  and  upon  the  old  dam  without  removing  that  structure.  The  new  dam  is  200  feet  long  and  18  feet  high, 
with  a  width  of  26  feet  at  the  base.  During  the  heavy  March  freshet  already  mentioned,  water  worked  around  one 
abutment  and  carried  it  and  the  bulkhead  away,  though  the  main  portion  of  the  dam  was  not  injured. 

This  dam  sets  the  stream  back  to  the  privilege  occupied  by  the  Eoswell  Manufacturing  Company,  about  a  mile 
and  a  quarter  from  the  mouth.  The  company  has  a  capital  stock  of  $260,000,  and  is  a  large  owner  of  property 
along  the  creek.  Its  business  is  carried  on  in  a  fine  brick  factory,  in  which  are  employed  225  hands,  all  native 
whites,  some  of  whom  have  been  in  the  constant  service  of  the  company  for  twenty  or  thirty  years.  The  manufacture 
is  largely  in  yarns,  which  are  shipped  to  Philadelphia,  but  also  includes  some  colored  goods — checks  and  plaids — as 
well  as  sheetings  and  shirtings;  124  looms,  of  which  30  are  on  colored  goods,  and  8,400  spindles  are  run,  and  9£ 
bales  of  cotton  are  used  per  day.  The  Eoswell  company  formerly  had  three  dams  on  the  stream,  but  the  lower,  near 
its  mill,  which  had  been  depended  upon  mainly  for  auxiliary  power  in  low  water,  was  carried  away  in  the  freshet 
which  has  been  described  as  so  disastrous  along  Vickery's  creek.  The  upper  dam,  3  miles  above  the  mill,  is  a 
framed  structure,  and  forms  a  pond  extending  back  3  miles,  thus  giving  a  large  storage  and  furnishing  a  fall  of  12 
feet  and  the  necessary  power  to  a  3  run  grist-miU.  The  main  dam  is  of  dry  stone,  cased  with  wood  at  the  top,  and 
was  built  about  1865.  It  is  120  feet  long,  30  feet  high,  30  feet  wide  at  the  base,  and  runs  out  to  an  edge  at  the  top. 
From  the  dam,  water  is  carried  about  300  feet  to  the  factory  in  a  wooden  flume  5  by  8  feet  in  size.  Power  is 
taken  from  a  60-inch  American  wheel  running  under  a  head  of  27  feet.  No  trouble  is  encountered  from  backwater 
and  very  little  from  drought. 

At  Eoswell  the  creek  has  a  width,  where  running  freely,  of  perhaps  50  feet.  There  is  no  other  important 
manufacturing  on  its  course  than  has  been  described,  but  there  are  said  to  be  good  unimproved  sites  for  power. 

The  Ghestatee  river,  the  largest  tributary  of  the  Chattahoochee  above  Columbus,  joins  that  river  from  the  north, 
6  miles  west  of  Gainesville.  It  heads  in  the  counties  of  Lumpkin  and  White,  besides  which  it  drains  small  portions  of 
Hall,  Dawson,  and  Forsyth  counties.  Its  basin  includes  330  square  miles.  The  stream  carries  a  large  volume  of  water, 
has  a  rapid  fall,  and  is  valuable  for  power,  although  utilized  for  that  purpose  by  only  one  or  two  small  saw-mills. 
Bull's  shoal  is  especially  mentioned  as  offering  a  fine  site.  The  width  between  banks  is  150  or  200  feet  in  the  lower 
course,  and  in  the  eddies  there  is  an  ordinary  depth  of  10  or  15  feet.  As  with  all  the  other  mountain  streams,  the 
freshets  are  sudden  and  heavy,  with  a  rise  of  12  or  14  feet  in  places.  Along  the  stream  is  considerable  good  farming-  ' 
1012  w  p— vol  16  55  865 


28 


WATER-POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


land,  but  at  many  points  the  valley  is  narrow  and  the  banks  rise  abruptly.  In  the  upper  basin  the  mining  of  gold 
is  an  important  industry,  and  on  the  bank  of  the  Chestatee  itself  a  mill  has  been  erected,  with  apparatus  designed 
for  sucking  up  the  material  of  the  river-bed  and  extracting  the  gold. 

The  Yahoola  river  and  Cane  creelc,  tributaries  of  the  Ghestatee,  are  both  small  mountain  streams  flowing 
rapidly  down  over  rocky  beds,  and  used  almost  exclusively  in  the  operations  of  gold-mining.  In  the  vicinity  of 
Dahlonega  neither  of  t  hem  is  more  than  about  20  feet  wide.  They  are  fed  by  springs,  and  are.  tolerably  steady  in 
flow  most  of  the  year,  yet  they  run  quite  low  in  summer.  The  fall  in  the  Yahoola  from  the  head  of  the  Hand  canal 
to  a  point  on  the  river  some  16  or  17  miles  by  road  farther  down,  lying  a  short  distance  south  of  Dahlonega,  is  380 
feet.  In  the  remaining  1£  mile  to  the  Chestatee  there  is  a  fall  of  30  feet,  with  one  or  two  good  sites  for  power. 
Descending  the  Yahoola,  there  is  first  a  small  grist-mill,  and  then  at  Dahlonega  the  Benning  mill,  of  10  stamps; 
the  Singleton  mill,  10  stamps;  the  Hand  Gold  Mining  Company's  mill,  20  stamps,  and  the  Findley  mill,  40  stamps. 
These  mills  take  power  directly  from  the  river,  have  timber  and  stone  crib-work  dams,  as  indeed  the  stamp-mills  in 
this  section  generally  do,  and  employ  in  most  cases  from  10  to  20  feet  of  fall.  Two  new  mills  had  also  been 
projected  in  the  spring  of  1881,  of  24  and  40  stamps,  respectively. 

Although  the  stream  is  thus  rendered  very  useful,  its  most  important  service  is  in  supplying  the  canal  of  the 
Hand  Gold  Mining  Company.  Water  is  taken  out  from  the  Yahoola  some  10  miles  above  Dahlonega  and  is  brought 
along  the  side  of  the  valley  to  the  mines,  where  it  is  employed  in  washing  for  gold,  but  not  for  power.  The 
main  canal  follows  a  sinuous  course  of  20  miles  along  the  hill-sides,  and  then  divides  into  two  principal  branches, 
which  extend  enough  farther  to  give  a  total  of  about  40  miles  of  canal.  Water  is  not  drawn  from  the  main  canal, 
™ut  only  from  the  branches.  The  former  is  6  feet  wide,  3  feet  deep,  and  has  a  grade  of  4  feet  to  the  mile.  It  was 
originally  constructed  about  the  year  1858,  but  was  rebuilt  soon  after  the  war.  For  the  most  part  its  course  lies  in 
earth  excavation,  but  there  is  also  considerable  rock-cutting.  Until  1868  wooden  trestles  were  used  for  crossing 
depressions,  but  they  were  then  replaced  by  wooden  and  iron  tubes.  Of  wooden  tubing  there  is  now  in  use  12,000 
feet,  including  a  single  stretch  a  mile  in  length;  3,000  feet  of  18-inch  iron  tubing  is  also  in  service.  For  16  miles 
from  its  head  the  canal  runs  down  the  east  side  of  the  Yahoola,  and  then  crosses.  The  transit  is  made  in  an  iron 
tube  which  follows  down  and  up  the  steep  inclines  that  form  the  side-slopes  of  the  valley.  Over  the  stream  which 
runs  at  the  bottom  the  tube  is  supported,  through  a  distance  of  about  160  feet,  by  wooden  piers  resting  on  stone 
foundations.  The  vertical  depression  overcome  is  250  feet,  and  there  is  a  fall  of  6  feet  between  the  ends  of  the 
pipe,  which  in  a  direct  line  are  perhaps  half  a  mile  apart.  The  tube  is  of  boiler-iron,  3,000  (?)  feet  long,  36  inches 
in  diameter,  and  three-eighths  of  an  inch  thick  at  the  bottom  of  the  valley,  gradually  decreasing  to  half  that 
thickness  at  the  top.  , 

Tributaries  of  the  Chattahoochee  river  (in  order  from  the  source). 


Name  of  stream. 


Soquee  river  above  junction  with  Sautee 
Sautee  river  above  junction  with  Soquee 

Mud  creek  

Chestatee  river  at  New  Bridge  

Chestatee  river  at  mouth   

Suwanee  creek  

Vickery's  creek  

Nancy's  and  Peachtree  creeks  

Nickajack  creek  

Sweetwater  creek  

Camp  creek  

Dog  river  

Snake  creek  

Cedar  creek  

Wahoo  creek  

Sundalhatchee  creek   

Hillabahatchee  creek  :  

New  river  

Yellow  Jacket  creek  

Wehatkee  creek  

Occluheo  creek  

Long  Cane  creek  

Flat  Shod  creek  


Drainage 
area. 


Sq. 


miles. 
149 
151 
41 
247 
330 
70 
94 
123 
40 
205 
76 
86 
67 
46 
34 
59 
123 
157 
185 
166 
107 
78 
225 


Name  of  stream. 


Osannippa  creek  

Mountain  creek  

Big  Hallewockee  creek 

Wacoochee  creek  

Mulberry  creek  

Standing  Bock  creek. . . 

Bull  creek  

TJpatoi  creek  

Uchee  creek  

Hitchetee  creek  

Hannabatchee  creek 
Hatcbeechubbee  creek. 
Nochefaloctee  creek  . . . 

Cowikee  river  

Barbour  creek  

Oketeeochenee  creek  .. 

Pataula(?)  creek  

Comochechubbee  creek 

Colomokee  creek  

Yuttayabba  creek  

Ommussee  creek  

Sowahatchee  creek  


Drainage 
area. 


Sq. 


miles. 

127 
72 
98 
39 

225 
75 
70 

500 

325 
73 
98 

104 
52 

475 
95 
53 

425 
89 
82 

204 

189 
85 


At  Dahlonega  the  main  canal  divides,  as  has  been  said,  into  two  branches.  The  larger  of  these  supplies  the 
Findley,  Pennsylvania  Consolidated,  Bast  &  Ivey,  Griscomb,  Fish  Trap,  and  Barlow  mines,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Dahlonega,  and  the  Chicago  &  Georgia  mine  at  Auraria,  6  miles  below.  The  other  branch  supplies  the  Benning, 
Hand,  Hamilton,  and  Lockhart  mines,  the  three  former  of  which  were  not  in  operation  at  the  time  this  locality  was 

8GG 


THE  EASTERN  GULF  SLOPE. 


29 


visited.  The  total  expenditure  ou  account  of  the  Haud  canal  is  estimated  to  have  reached  $300,000,  although  such 
a  canal  could  now  be  built  for  a  very  much  smaller  sum.  The  Hand  Gold  Mining  Company  sells  the  water  to  the 
various  users  at  the  rate  of  12  cents  per  day  per  miner's  inch,  taken  as  the  flow  through  a  1-inch  aperture  under  a 
head  of  1  inches.  The  operations  of  hydraulic  mining  are  familiar,  and  a  description  would  be  out  of  place  here. 
Although  the  proportion  of  gold  in  the  ore  of  this  section  is  commonly  small,  the  cheapness  with  which  the  latter 
is  treated,  not  exceeding  from  25  to  35  cents  per  ton,  renders  mining  a  profitable  industry. 

Cane  creek  is  similar  to  the  Yahoola  river.  It  has  a  rapid  fall,  which  at  one  point  becomes  almost  vertical 
through  50  feet.  It  is  utilized  by  a  small  flouring-inill,  and  also  by  the  Barlow  stamp-mill,  at  which  16  feet  of  fall 
and  about  60  horse-power  are  obtained. 

THE  FLINT  RIVER. 

Eising  in  western  Georgia,  within  a  dozen  miles  to  the  southward  of  Atlanta,  this  river  takes  a  southerly  course, 
bending  well  to  the  eastward  toward  Macon,  and  joins  the  Chattahoochee  near  the  village  of  that  name.  The 
only  important  towns  on  its  banks  are  Albany,  in  Dougherty  county,  with  3,200,  and  Bainbriclge,  Decatur  county, 
with  1,100  inhabitants.  From  the  mouth  to  Montezuma,  a  distance  of  182  miles  by  water,  the  stream  has  been 
examined  by  government  engineers  with  a  view  to  rendering  it  navigable,  and  for  several  years  more  or  less  work 
has  been  performed  along  the  lower  course.  The  design  is  to  secure  a  channel  of  the  minimum  dimensions  of  100 
feet  width  and  3  feet  depth  as  far  as  Albany  at  least,  and  in  1880  the  sum  of  $10,000  was  appropriated  by  Congress 
for  improvements  between  Albany  and  Montezuma.  Up  to  June,  18S0,  inclusive,  the  entire  appropriations  to  thi^ 
river  had  amounted  to  $37,000,  and  the  channel  had  been  opened  to  a  point  about  10  miles  above  Bainbridge.(a) 
Above  Albany  the  obstructions  are  snags  and  shallows,  and,  in  particular,  a  series  of  rocky  shoals  stretching  at 
intervals  for  some  18  miles  up  stream  from  the  town. 

The  Flint  river  has  a  length  by  general  course  of  about  230  miles  and  drains  8,420  square  miles.  But  of  this  area 
not  more  tban  1,200  square  miles,  or  that  part  lying  north  of  Talbot  count}',  should  be  considered  as  contributing 
to  available  water-power  on  the  main  river.  The  interests  of  navigation  would  appear  to  forbid  the  damming  of 
the  stream  below  Montezuma,  and  above  that  point,  as  far  up  as  Upson  county,  no  important  shoals  were  reported. 
According  to  the  profiles  of  the  Central  Kailroad  of  Georgia,  between  its  crossings  in  southern  Macon  county 
and  at  Montezuma,  a  distance  by  water  of  not  less  than  22  miles,  there  is  a  fall  in  the  stream  of  41  feet. (6)  From 
Montezuma  to  Albany  the  fall  is  given  as,  approximately,  125  feet  for  the  77  miles. (c)  With  a  small  average  slope, 
and  draining  a  section  subject  to  heavy  winter  and  spring  rains,  the  river  is  visited  by  a  large  freshet-rise,  ordinarily 
amounting  to  10  or  15  feet  as  far  north  as  the  vicinity  of  Tbomaston,  in  Upson  county,  but  which  was  stated  to 
have  reached  25  feet  in  the  spring  of  1881.  The  river  was  visited  at  but  one  point,  8  or  10  miles  from  Tbomaston. 
It  was  there  found  to  be  from  200  to  250  feet  wide,  flowing  with  a  rapid  current,  being  at  the  time  somewhat  above 
a  mean  stage.  The  banks  were  of  sand  and  loam,  with  no  appearance  of  rock  ;  on  one  side  they  rose  quite  rapidly 
to  a  height  of  50  or  75  feet,  while  on  the  opposite  side  they  were  not  more  than  from  10  to  20  feet  high,  and  were 
succeeded  by  a  short  stretch  of  bottom-laud.  It  was  said  that  this  description  would  apply  to  many  localities 
along  the  river  in  this  section  and  below.  But  from  the  latitude  of  Tbomaston  up  stream  the  slope  becomes  greater, 
the  freshet-rise  is  less,  the  bed  and  banks  display  more  or  less  rock,  and  there  are  frequent  shoals  with  smooth  water 
intervening.  The  upper  river  is  not  directly  accessible  by  railroad,  and  is  utilized  only  in  a  limited  way  for  power 
by  a  few  flouring-  and  grist-mills. 

Drainage  areas  of  the  Flint  river. 

Square  miles. 


At  Erin,  southwest  corner  of  Spalding  county,  below  junction  with  Lime  and  Whitewater  creeks   560 

Above  Pigeon  creek,  northern  boundary  of  Talbot  county     1, 190 

Below  Big  Potato  creek   1,690 

At  Montezuma,  below  Buck's  creek   2, 945 

At  Albany   5,430 

At  mouth  of  river   8, 420 


TRIBUTARIES  OF  THE  FLINT  RIVER. 

As  will  be  seen  from  a  subsequent  table,  the  Flint  river  receives  two  tributaries  with  a  little  over  1,000  square 
miles  each  of  drainage  area,  one  of  between  600  and  700,  while  the  remainder  range  from  260  square  miles  down. 
No  special  information  has  been  obtained  regarding  any  of  these  streams,  excepting  one  or  two  in  Upson  county, 
but  they  do  not  appear  to  be  used  for  important  manufacturing.  Above  Thomaston  they  lie  in  the  region  of 
metamorphic  rocks,  and  below  mainly  among  the  limestones  and  marls. 

In  a  letter  to  the  assistant  engineer  in  charge  of  the  Flint  River  survey  (d)  the  secretary  of  the  Albany  board 

a  Report  of  the  Chief  of  Engineers,  lfc80. 

6  Elevations  above  tide,  306  and  265  feet,  respectively. 

c  Report  of  the  Chief  of  Engineers,  1879  (p.  820). 

d  Report  of  the  Chief  of  Engineers,  1873. 

867 


30 


WATER-POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


of  trade  mentioned  that  2  miles  north  of  that  city,  on  Kinahatooehee  creek,  there  was  a  fine  unimproved  water- 
power  capable  of  running  100,000  spindles.  This  stream  has  a  drainage  basin  of  1,075  square  miles,  and  with 
sufficient  fall  ought  to  furnish  an  important  power. 

Tobler  creelc  is  a  short  stream  confined  entirely  to  Upson  county.  It  runs  through  a  hilly  district,  has  a  sandy 
bed,  and  near  the  mouth  is  from  50  to  75  feet  wide,  with  a  good  current.  Owing  to  the  clearing  and  cultivation  of 
the  laud  the  channel  has  become  somewhat  filled  up  by  the  soil  which  is  washed  in.  A  mile  or  two  from  the  mouth 
the  Flint  River  Manufacturing  Company  uses  a  fall  of  14  feet,  and  about  25  horse-power,  in  the  manufacture  of  cotton 
yarns,  consuming  GO  bales  of  cotton  per  mouth.  There  is  one  other  cotton  factory  on  the  stream,  making  sheetings 
and  shirtings,  besides  several  small  grist-mills  and  cotton-gius. 

Big  Potato  creelc  heads  to  the  eastward  of  Flint  river  in  Spaldiug  county,  flows  southerly,  passing  through  Pike 
and  Upson  counties,  and  joins  the  main  river  7  or  8  miles  south  of  Thomaston,  its  drainage  basin  containing  246 
square  miles.  This  stream  has  its  sources  in  the  mountains,  receives  supplies  from  many  springs,  and  is  well 
sustained  in  volume.  Flowing  among  high  hills,  with  a  rapid  fall  over  a  rocky  bed,  and  between  high  rocky  banks 
which  only  occasionally  give  way  to  patches  of  bottom-land,  the  conditions  are  favorable  for  power.  The  stream 
drains  considerable  cultivated  land,  but  also  runs  through  much  pine  timber.  There  are  numerous  small  flouring- 
and  grist-mills  along  its  course,  and  also  good  unimproved  privileges.  The  most  important  of  these  brought  to 
notice  was  one  owned  by  Dr.  C.  Rogers,  of  Thomaston,  and  located  some  3  miles  from  that  town.  The  creek  is 
there  200  or  300  feet  wide,  contains  several  small  islands,  and  tumbles  over  two  or  three  successive  ledges  in  small 
.falls  of  from  3  to  5  feet  each.  Within  perhaps  a  quarter  of  a  mile  there  is  asserted  to  be  a  total  fall  of  60  feet 
available  in  two  shoals  of  30  feet  each.  Before  the  war  Dr.  Rogers  had  here  a  cotton  factory  of  1,800  spindles,  and 
claims  that  each  shoal  will  carry  5,000  spindles  the  year  around. 

Estimate  of  power  at  Rogers'  privilege,  near  Thomaston. 


Stage  of  water. 

Spring. 

RAINFALL  ON  B 

Summer.]  Autun.n. 

ASIN. 
Winter. 

Tear. 

Drainage 
area. 

!  Flow  per 
second, 
average 
for  the  24 
hours. 

Theoretical  horse-power. 

Low  water,  dry  year  

Low  water,  average  year  

Available  10  months,  average  year  

Inches. 

i 

Inches. 
13 

Inches.- 

7* 

Inches. 

15 

Inches. 
50i 

Sq.  miles. 
170  j 

i 

'  Cubicfeet. 

30 
50 
75 

1  foot  fall. 

3.4 
5.7 
8.5 

30  feetfall. 
100 
170 
255 

60  feet  fall. 

200 
340 
510 

Tributaries  of  the  Flint  river  (in  order  from  the  source). 


Name  of  stream. 


Whitewater  and  Line  creeks . 

Texas  (?)  creek  

Red  Oak  creek  

Elkins  creek  

Cane  creek  

Laxer  creek  

Big  Potato  creek  

Little  Potato  creek  

Hootensville  (?)  creek  

Parchelagee  creek  

Spring  creek  

Whitewater  creek  

Buck's  creek  

Camp  creek  

Sweetwater  creek  


Drainage 
area. 


Sq.  miles. 
246 
184 
150 

87 

76 
155 
246 
104 
109 
135 

85 
260 
205 

64 


Xame  of  stream. 


Drainage 
area. 


Hog-craw  creek  

Lampkin's  creek  

Line  creek  

Gum  creek  

Cedar  creek  

Swift  creek  

Chateefichickee  creek  

Jones'  creek  

Abram's  creek  

Pinewoods  creek  

Kinahatooehee  creek  

Pond  creek  

Cooleewahee  creek  

Ichawaynocha  and  Kiokee  creeks 
Spring  creek  


Sq.  miles. 
97 

185 
73 
74 
48 
58 
76 
55 

140 
57 
1,075 

102 

105 
1,083 

685 


868 


THE  EASTERN  GULF  SLOPE. 

Table  of  utilized  power  on  tributaries  of  the  Appalachicola  river. {a) 


31 


Stream 


Chattahoochee  river  (6)  . 

Do  <.  

Do  

Do  

Do    

Do  

Do  

Do  

Sundry  tributaries  

Do  


Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Eo. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 


Tributary  to  -what. 


Appalachicola  river  . . 

...do  

...do   

...do  

..  do  

..do  

...do  

,..  do  


State. 


Georgia. 

...do  ... 

...do  ... 

...do  ... 

...do  ... 
...do  ... 

...do  ... 
...do  ... 


.do   Alabama 


Chattahoochee  river  do 


..do 
do 
do 
do 

.do 

.do 
do 
do 

.do 
do 
do 

.do 

.do 
do 

.do 
do 
do 

.do 

.do 

.do 

.do 
do 
do 
do 
do 

.do 
do 
do 
do 
do 

.do 
do 
do 

.do 
do 
do 
do 
do  . 

.do 

.do 
do 

.do  . 
do 
do  . 

.do 
do  . 
do  . 
do  . 

.do  . 

.do  . 


do  

.do  

.do  

.do  

do  

do  

.do  

.do  

.do  

do  |  Randolph . 


County. 


Kind  of  mill  or  manufacture. 


Muscogee  i  Cotton  

...  do  i  Flouring  and  grist . 

Harris   do  

 do  |  Cotton  

Troup  I  do   . 

Hall   Building 


..  do  .... 
Cobb  .... 
Henry  . . . 
..  do  .... 
..  do  .... 
Barbour 
...do  .... 
...do  .... 
Russell  . 
...  do  .... 

Lee  

...do  .... 
..  do  .... 


j-materials... 
Flouring  and  grist. . . 

...do   

...do   

...do   

Saw  

...do  

Cotton-gins  

Flouring  and  grist... 

...do  

Cotton-gin  

...do   

Flouring  and  grist... 

Saw  

...do   •- 


..do 
..do 
..do 
..do 


do  I  Flouring  and  grist. 


.do 
do 
.do 


-  -  .do  i  Chambers 

Georgia  I  Early  

 do   do  

...do   Clay  

— do  — do  

...  do  — do  

—  do  J  Quitman  . 

 do   do  

. ..  do   Randolph 

. . .  do    I  Stowart  . 

...  do  

...do   

...  do  

...do  

...do   

...do   

...do  

...do   

...do   


Stone  and  earthen  ware. 

Cotton  

Woolen  

Flouring  and  grist  

...do   

Saw  

...do  .......-T.  

Cotton-gin  

Flouri-ng  and  grist  

...do   

Saw  

Flourirg  and  grist  

...do  

Saw  

..do  

Flouring  and  grist  

..do  

..do  

Cotton  gin  

Saw  

...do   

and  grist  


...Ao  

Chattahoochee 

. .  do  

Muscogee  

Marion  

...do   

..  do  

Harris  

..  -do   j  Flouriu 

.do  ;  Talbot   do 

do  I  do   Saw 

do  I  Troup  

.do  I  do  

.do   do   

.dc  '  do  

do  \  Meriwether . . 

do  j  Heard  

do   do  

do   Carroll  

do  '  do  

.do   do  

do   Coweta  

.do  do  ■  Flouring  and  grist 

.do   CampbeD  j...  do  

do   Douglas   |  Cotton-gin  

do  do  i  Flouring  and  grist 


...do   

Tannery  

Flouring  and  grist. 

Cotton  

Flouring  and  grist. 

...do   

Saw  

Cotton  

Flouring  and  grist. 

Saw  

Cotton  


Feet. 

H.P. 

c3 

43 

2,  000 

dl 

8 

100 

el 

50 

\  7-8* 

el 

s  i 

160 

el 

9 

130 

fl 

\  9* 

30 

/I 

5  al 

60 

1 

n 

10 

3 

21 

32 

16 

129 

148 

4 

15 

56 

1 

60 

30 

3 

12+ 

75 

7 

47+ 

81 

5 

45+ 

121 

1 

7J 

20 

2 

28 

36 

14 

231+ 

319 

1 

16 

8 

1 

12 

20 

2 

40 

38 

1 

18 

4 

1 

32$ 

100 

1 

35 

60 

10 

180 

191 

6 

56* 

72 

1 

25 

3 

29 

60 

1 

8 

6 

6 

58+ 

77 

4 

49 

96 

2 

24 

63 

1 

9 

8 

8 

83 

192 

o 

20 

22 

1 

10 

15 

6 

57 

75 

4 

73 

213 

1 

6 

12 

1 

8 

21 

8 

30 

1 

12 

10 

13 

235 

398 

2 

36 

47 

2 

36 

43 

4 

57 

65 

1 

22 

8 

22 

223J 

506 

1 

20 

60 

1 

30 

11 

8 

91 

101 

3 

124 

125 

1 

30 

120 

12 

277+ 

160 

3 

58 

26 

1 

60 

14 

275+ 

226 

7 

124 

130 

1 

11 

20 

13 

202 

119 

a  Not  including  power  employed  in  mining-operations  in  northern  Georgia. 

b  About  a  dozen  small  flouring-  and  grist-mills  are  included  in  the  census  enumerators'  returns  as  taking  power  from  the  main  river  in  Carroll,  Forsyth,  and 
Heard  counties,  but  it  is  probable  that  they  are  really  located  on  small  tributaries  of  the  Chattahoochee,  and  they  have  been  so  classified  here. 
c  At  and  near  Columbus. 
d  At  Columbus. 
e  Near  West  Point. 
/  Possibly  not  on  main  stream. 

869 


32 


WATER-POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

Table  of  utilized  power  on  tributaries  of  the  Appalachicola  river — Continued. 


Stream . 


Sundry  tributaries   Chattahoochee  river.. 


Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do   

Do  

Do  

Do  

,  Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Flint  river. 

Do  

Do  

Tributaries 

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  .... 

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  


Tributary  to  what. 


.do 
.do 
.do 

do 

do 

do 
.do 
-do 
.do 

do 
.do 

do 
.do 
.do 

do 

do 

do 
.do 

:i: 


...do  

...do   

...do   

...do  

...do   

...do  

...do   

...do   

...do   

...do  

...do  

...do   

...do   

...do  

Appalachicola  river 

...do  

...do   

Flint  river  

....do  


.do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 

do 
.do 

do 
.do 
.do 
.do 
.do  . 
.do 
.do 
.do 
.do 


State. 


Georgia. 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
..  do 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
'...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 


County. 


Douglas  

...do   

....do   

...do   

Paulding  . . . 

...do  

Cobb  

...do   

...do  

...do   

...do   

...do   

Fulton  

....do   

...do  

De  Kalb  ... 

...do  

 do  

...do  

Gwinnett . . . 

...do   

Forsyth  

...dp   

Hall  

...do   

...do   

Milton  

...do   

Lumpkin  . . . 

...do   

...do  

Habersham 

...do   

L..do   

"White  

Campbell . . . 

Clayton  

Fayette  


.do  j  Campbell . . . 

.do  j  Clayton  

.do    do  

.do  j  Henry  

.do  j  Spalding  

.do  Fayette  

.do   Coweta  

.do  do  

.do  do  

.do   Meriwether. 

.do  do  

-do   Pike  

.do  do  

.do  j  Crawford  . . . 

.do  I  TJpson  


.do  . 
do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 
.do  . 
.do 
.do  . 
.do 
.do 
.do  . 
.do 
.do 


. .  .do 
...  do  ... 
...do  ... 
Talbot.. 
Taylor. 
Marion  . 
...do  ... 
Taylor . 
....do  ... 
Schley . . 
Macon . . 
...do  ... 
Dooly... 


Kind  of  mill  or  manufacture. 


Saw  

Tannery  

Cotton  

Woolen  

Flouring  and  grist ...  . 

Saw    

Cotton  

Woolen  

Cotton-gins  

Flouring  and  grist  

Paper  

Saw  

Cotton-gins  

Flouring  and  grist  

Saw  

Flouring  and  grist  

Furniture  

Saw  

Tannery  

Flouring  and  grist  

Saw  

Flouring  and  grist  

Saw  

...do   

Carriages  and  wagons  . 

Flouring  and  grist  

...do   

Saw  

...do   

Flouring  and  grist  

Tannery   

Flouring  and  grist  

Leather,  curried  

Woolen  

Flouring  and  grist  

...do   

. .  do  

...do   

...do  :  

...do   

Saw  

Flouring  and  grist  

...  do  

...do   

...do   

Saw  

Tannery  

Flouring  and  grist  

Saw  

"Wheelwrighting  

Flouring  and  grist  

....do  

Cotton   

Flouring  and  grist  

Saw  

Tannery  

Flouring  and  grist  

Cotton  

Flouring  and  grist  

Saw  

....do  

Flouring  and  grist  

....do   

....do  

Saw  

....do   


Feet. 

H.P. 

6 

136 

82 

1 

CO 

10 

I 

60 

1 

14 

9 

2 

13 

CO 

1 

20 

8 

3 

67 

375 

2 

40 

85 

9 

135 

111 

23 

368 

454 

1 

22 

75 

5 

45 

69 

3 

20  + 

22 

8 

156 

106 

3 

30 

31 

7 

120 

119 

2 

47 

25 

2 

24 

40 

1 

15  . 

10 

9 

116+ 

98 

4 

47 

44 

8 

154 

137 

4 

54. 

36 

4 

45 

90' 

I 

22 

15 

11 

151 

175 

4 

68 

82 

2 

28 

32 

7 

141 

75 

10 

183 

134 

1 

20 

4 

1 

14 

10 

1 

16 

6 

1 

20 

12 

1 

10 

.  15 

1 

14 

28 

5 

90 

44 

1 

13 

12 

3 

70 

50 

8 

148 

136 

1 

22 

15 

1 

18 

15 

2 

13 

40 

5 

464 

109 

4 

71 

88 

1 

5 

12 

1 

30 

16 

11 

171 

138 

1 

16 

15 

1 

8 

12 

11 

1541 

276 

3 

25 

43 

2 

29 

115 

15 

1911 

373 

5 

72 

102 

1 

10 

5 

9 

214 

169 

1 

12 

40 

4 

33 

52 

1 

12 

20 

6 

58 

95 

10 

84+ 

129 

6 

53 

70 

5 

51 

102 

1 

8 

30 

2 

14 

15 

870 


THE  EASTERN  GULF  SLOPE. 

Table  of  utilised  power  on  tributaries  of  the  Appalachicola  river — Continued. 


33 


Stream. 


Tributary  to  what. 


State. 


County. 


Kind  of  mill  or  manufacture. 


Tributaries . 

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  


Flint  river . 

...do  

...do  

...  do  

...do  

...do   

...do  

...  do  

...do   

...do   

...do  

...do   

...do   

...do   

...do  

...do  

...do   

...do   

...do  

...do  

...do  


Georgia. 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...  do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
..do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
...do  ... 
..  do  ... 


Dooly  

Sumter  

Lee  

Webster . . . 

..  do  

Randolph . . 

Terrell  

...do  

Calhoun  ... 

...do  

Dougherty. 

...  do  

Worth  

...do   

Early  

..do  

...do  

Miller  

...do  

Baker  

Decatur  ... 


Flouring  and  grist. 

...do  

...do   

...  do  

Saw  

Flouring  and  grist . 

Saw  

Flouring  and  grist . 

...do   

Saw  

Flouring  and  grist . 

Saw  

....do   

Flouring  and  grist . 

Cotton  

Flouring  and  grist . 

Saw  -. 

...do   

Flouring  an'd  grist . 

—  do  

...do   


Feet. 
8+ 
51+ 
22J 
66+ 
28 
69 
11+ 
14 
10 


10 
25 
40 
57 


14} 

5 


II.  P. 

30 


Table  of  utilised  power  on  sundry  streams  tributary  to  tJie  eastern  Gulf. 


Stream. 


Escambia  river . 

Tributaries  

Do  


Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do    

Yellow  river  

Do  

Choctawhatchee  river 

Do  

Tributaries  

Do  


Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 


Ocklockonee  river  and  tributaries 
Do  


Tributary  to  what. 


Gulf  of  Mexico  

Escambia  river  

—do  

...do  

...do  

...do   

....do  

...do  

..  do  

...do  

...do  

...do  ....^  

<j'm.  dO  i. 

...  do  

...do   

Gulf  of  Mexico  

...do  

...do  

....do  

Choctawhatchee  river. 

...do  

....do  

....do  

....do  

....do  '.. 

....do   

....do  '.  

....do   

....do  

....do  

Gulf  of  Mexico  

...do  


State. 


Alabama. 

...do  .... 
...  do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 

..do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 

..  do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 
...  do  .  ... 

...do  .... 
...  do  .... 
...  do  .... 
...do  .... 
....do  .... 
. . .  do  ... . 
...  do  .... 

...do  .... 

...do  .... 

Georgia . . 
....do  .... 


County. 


Kind  of  mill  or  manufacture, 


Bullock.... 

Butler  

...do  ...... 

...do  

Conecuh 

...do   

...do   

Covington  . 

.  ^do   

Crenshaw.. 
Escambia.. 

Pike  

...do  

...do  

Covington  . 

...do  

Geneva  

...do  

Barbour  ... 

...do  

Bullock.... 

Coffee  

. . .  .do  

Dale  

Geneva  

..  do  

Henry  

...  do  

Pike  

Colquitt  ... 
Decatur  ... 


Flouring  and  grist . 

...do  

Cotton-gins  

Saw  

...do  

Cotton-gin  

Flouring  and  grist. 

...do   

Saw  

Flouring  and  grist. 

Saw  

...do  

Flouring  and  grist . 

Cotton-gins  

Flouring  and  grist. 

Saw  

....do  

Flouring  and  grist. 

...do   

Saw  

Flouring  and  grist. 

...do   

Saw   

Flouring  and  grist . 

...do  

Saw  

....do  

Flouring  and  griat. 

...do  

....do   

...do   


Feet. 


10 
131 
30+ 
10 
65 
8 
53 
40 

*i 
237+ 
64 

6 
45 
17 
10 

8 
10 


41+ 
10 
22 
104 
22 
50+ 
41  + 
42 
3 
20 
45 
16 
64 


H.P. 


34 


WATER-POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


Table  of  utilized  power  on  sundry  streams  tributary  to  the  eastern  Gulf — Continued. 


Stream. 


Tributary  to  what. 


Ocklockonce  river  and  tributaries  ...  Gulf  of  Mexico. 


Do. 


.do 


Ocilla  river  and  tributaries  \  do  

Suwannee  river  do  

Tributaries    Suwannee  river  . 


State. 


Georgia . 


Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Do  

Other  streams 
Do  


...do   

...do   

...do  

...do  

...do  

...do  

...do   

...do  

...do  

....do  

....do  

Gulf  of  Mexico . 
....do   


do  . 
do  . 
do  . 
do  . 
do  . 
do  . 
.do  . 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
.do 
do 


County. 


Thomas . 


do 


Berrien  . . 

...do  .... 
...do  .... 
Brooks 
...  do  .... 

...do   

Clinch  ... 
Echols . . . 
...do  .... 
Lowndes 
...  do  .... 
Wilcox  . . 

Alabama   Baldwin  . 

 do    Mobile . . . 


Kind  of  mill  or  manufacture. 


Decatur   Saw 


Flouring  and  grist . 


-  GO 


Woolen  

Flouring  and  grist . 

Saw  

Woolen  

Saw  

Flouring  and  grist. 

 do  

...do   

Cotton-gin  

Saw  

Flouring  and  grist. 

...do  

Saw  

Flouring  and  grist. 


Feet. 
6 

32 
60J 


12 
82 
9 


10 

43+ 

7 

6 
12 
10 


10 
15 


H.P. 

12 
34 
50 


12 
145 
10 
12 
10 
54 
15 
6 
0 
10 
77 
4 
40 
40 


Summary  of  power  utilizes,  on  streams  tributary  to  the  eastern  Gulf  (not  including  any  returns  for  Florida). 


Stream. 

COTTON-MILLS. 

WOOLEN-MILLS. 

FLOURING-  AND 
GRIST-MILLS. 

SAW-MILLS. 

SUNDRY  OTHER  ES- 
TABLISHMENTS. 

TOTAL. 

Number  of  mills. 

Water-power  util- 
ized. 

Auxiliary  steam- 
power. 

a 

O 
U 
Q 

a 

1 

10 

5 

Water-power  util- 
ized. 

Auxiliary  steam- 
power. 

Number  of  mills. 

Water-power  util- 
ized. 

Auxiliary  steam- 
power. 

Number  of  mills. 

Water-power  util- 
ized. 

Auxiliary  steam- 
power. 

to 
o 

a 

s 

Water-power  util- 
ized. 

Auxiliary  steam- 
power. 

O 

u 

CS 
.= 

a 
ft 

Water-power  util- 
ized. 

Auxiliary  steam- 
power. 

Tributaries  of  the  Alabama  river  

6  1,658 
13  3,065 
4  200 

H.P. 

H.  P. 

79 
166 

H.  P. 

408* 
270 
151 
142 

H.P. 
6,  515 
4,951 
2, 530 
1,684 

H.  P. 
60 

84 
68 
28 
32 

H.  P. 

I,  470 
1, 105 

441 
686 

H.P. 

44 

32 
3 
8 

H.P. 
447 
498 
33 

.  86 

H.P. 

552 
388 
186 
184 

H.P. 
10, 160 
'9,  785 
3,  204 
2,480 

H.P. 
60 
6 

27 

Chattahoochee  river  and  tributaries  . . 
Flint  river  and  tributaries  

6 
7 

20 

2 

24 

Total  

23  j   4,  923 

17 

269 

971 

15,  680 

80 

212 

3, 702 

13 

i  87 

1.-064 

1, 310 

25, 638 

93 

Note. — "Sundry  other  establishments >'  include  cotton-gins  (48),  tanneries  (14),  paper-mills  (1) ;  blacksmithing,  carpentering,  machine,  sash-,  door-,  and  blind-, 
wheelwrighting,  and  general  wood- working  shops  j  founderies,  iron-works,  and  pumping-works  for  water- supply  (1  each) ;  and  establishments  for  the  manufacture  of 
cotton-gins,  building-materials,  furniture,  carriages  and  wagons,  stone-  and  earthen- ware. 


872 


■ 


* 


INDEX  TO  REPORT  ON  WATER-POWER  OF  THE  EASTERN  GULF  SLOPE. 


Accessibility  of  streams  tributary  to  eastern  Gulf   4 

Alabama  riv^i  — 

Discharge  of   5 

Minor  tributaries  of,  and  drainage  areas   6 

Navigation  of   4,  5 

Tributaries  of   5-20 

Utilized  power  on  tributaries  of   18-20 

Appalachicola  river   21 

Utilized  power  on  tributaries  of   31-33 

Autauga  creek,  Alabama,  power  at  Prattville  on   5 

B. 

Bayou  Minette,  Alabama,  power  on   1 

Big  Potato  creek,  Georgia,  estimate  of  unimproved  power  on,  near 

Thomaston   30 

Birmingham,  Alabama,  deposits  of  iron  ore  near   6,7 

C. 

Cahaba  river— 

And  tributaries,  drainage  areas  of   7 

Cost  of  improving  navigation  of   6 

Estimate  of  power  at  principal  shoals  in   7 

Fall  in,  as  shown  by  survey   7 

Valuable  resources  of  basin  of   6,  7* 

Cane  creek,  Georgia   28,  29 

Carter's  Landing,  Georgia,  estimate  of  power  on  Coosawattee  river  near.  17 

Cedar  creek,  Georgia — 

Cherokee  Iron  and  Railroad  Company's  water-privilege  on   14 

Bapid  fluctuations  in  volume  of   14 

Chattahoochee  river — 

Advantages  offered  by,  for  development  of  power   22 

Estimate  of  power  at  principal  shoals  in   25,  26 

Fall  in   21 

Freshet-rises  in   22 

Government  survey  of   21 

Important  shoals  in   21 

Mineral  and  other  resources  of  basin  of   22 

Tributaries  of   26-26 

Tributaries  of,  drainage  areas  of   28 

Tributaries  of,  general  features  of   26 

Water-powers  on   22-25 

Chattooga  river   13, 14 

Chcstatee  river   27,  28 

Columbus,  Georgia — 

Estimate  of  power  in  vicinity  of   24 

Fall  within  4  miles  of  navigable  water  at   24 

Power  on  Chattahoochee  river  at  and  in  vicinity  of   22-24 

Columbus  Manufacturing  Company's  water-privilege  on  Chattahoochee 

river   22,23 

Conasauga  river   18 

Coosa  river — 

Character  of,  as  regards  water-power   11, 12 

Drainage  areas  of  minor  tributaries  of   14 

Estimate  of  power  at  principal  shoals  on   13 

Fall  in   11 

Heavy  freshet-rises  in   12 

Natural  resources  of  basin  of   11 

Proposed  improvement  of  navigation  of   11 

Tributaries  of   13-18 


Coosawattee  river —  Page. 

Freshet-rise  in   18 

Power  near  Carter's  Landing  on   17, 18 

Cost  of  hydraulic  works  at  Columbus,  Georgia   23 

Cotton  and  woolen  goods,  advantages  offered  for  the  manufacture  of   4 

E. 

Eagle  and  Phoenix  Manufacturing  Company's  works  at  Columbus, 

Georgia   23,  24 

Elevation,  general,  of  mountainous  portions  of  Alabama  and  Georgia  ...  2 
Etowah  river— 

And  principal  tributaries,  drainage  areas  of   17 

Discharge  of   15 

Etowah  Manufacturing  arid  Mining  Company's  undeveloped  water- 
privilege  on   16, 17 

Fall  in  y.   16 

Improvement  of  navigation  of,  unlikely   15 

Where  utilized  for  power   15 

F. 

Fall,  undeveloped,  in — 

Big  Potato  creek  near  Thomaston,  Georgia     30 

Cahaba  river  at  principal  shoals   7 

Chattahoochee  river  at  or  mear  Columbus,  Georgia   22-24 

Chattahoochee  river  at  principal  shoals   25, 26 

Coosa  river  at  principal  shoals   13 

Coosa  river  at  Wetumpka,  Alabama   12 

Coosawattee  river  near  Carter's  Landing,  Georgia   18 

Etowah  river  near  Cartersville,  Georgia   16, 17 

Kinahatoochee  creek,  Georgia   30 

Tallapoosa  river  at  Tallassee   9 

Flint  river — 

Drainage  areas  of   i.9 

G  eneral  features  of   20 

Proposed  improvement  of  navigation  of   29 

Tributaries  of   29,  30 

Freshets,  heights  of,  in  the  larger  streams  3,  9, 12, 15, 18,  22,  29 

G.  • 

Gailogical  features  of  eastern  Gulf  slope   1,2 

H. 

Hand  Gold  Mining  Company's  canal    28 

K. 

Kinabatoochee  creek   30 

HI. 

Metamorphic  formation — 

Boundary  of,  in  Georgia  and  Alabama   2 

Falls  at  southern  limit  of   2 

Mineral  resources  of  region  tributary  to  the  eastern  Gulf   2 

K. 

Nickajack  creek,  Georgia   - 

O. 

Oostenaula  river  and  tributaries,  drainage  areas  of   17, 1 

P 

Prattville,  Alabama,  power  on  Autauga  creek  at  

B. 

Rainfall,  records  of  

Eoswell  Manufacturing  Company's  works  on  Vickery's  creek,  Georgia.. 

873-35 


36  INDEX  TO  WATER-POWER  OF  THE  EASTERN  GULF  SLOPE. 


s. 

Page. 

Soap  creek.  Georgia   26,27 

Storage  reservoirs  generally  impracticable  on  eastern  Gulf  slope   4 

T. 

Tallapoosa  river- 
Estimate  of  power  at  points  in  course  of   10 

Measurement  of  discharge  of   8 

Power  on,  at  Tallassee  falls   8, 1 

Principal  tributaries  of   10 

Resources  of  country  drained  by   8 

Survey  of,  witb  reference  to  improvement  of  navigation   8 

Tallassee  falls — 

Character  of  Tallapoosa  river  above   10 

Estimate  of  power  at   9 

Power  on  Tallapoosa  river  at  •-   8,  9 

Temperature,  records  of   3 

Tobler  creek,  Georgia   30 

Tryon  Manufacturing  Company's  water-power  on  Chattooga  river   13, 14 


,  v. 

Vickery's  creek,  Georgia   27 

W. 

Water-power — 

Afforded  by  short  streams  near  Gulf  coast   l 

Table  of  utilized,  on  sundry  streams  tributary  to  eastern  Gulf   33, 34 

Table  of  utilized,  on  tributaries  of  Alabama  river   18-20 

Table  of  utilized,  on  tributaries  of  Appalachicola  river   31-33 

Table  of  utilized,  summary  for  streams  tributary  to  eastern  Gulf . .  34 

West  Point,  Georgia,  power  on  Chattahoochee  river  near   24, 25 

"Wetumpka,  Alabama- 
Estimate  of  power  at   12 

Power  on  Coosa  river  at   12 

Willeo  creek,  Georgia   27 

X. 

Tahoola  river,  gold-mining  on  course  of   28, 29 


